Waste avoidance - Satisfaction after project to return reusable cups
A pilot project for easier return of reusable beakers for waste reduction in Wiesbaden and Mainz has been successful from the perspective of the participants. The unique aspect was that customers could return their reusable coffee beakers across different café and bakery chains, as the Hessian Environmental Ministry announced.
From March to May 2024, a total of 85 café and bakery outlets in the two neighboring state capitals of Wiesbaden and Mainz offered various reusable beakers for hot beverages. Customers who returned the beaker in one of these businesses received a Euro deposit back. In addition, there were 40 return stations in the open air as part of the "Mehrweg Model City" project. Here, the use of an app resulted in the deposit being transferred electronically. These vending machines have since been dismantled.
According to the Hessian Environmental Ministry, 87% of the distributed reusable beakers were returned in the bakeries and not at the vending machines, 60% even in the same outlet. A ministry spokeswoman stated that the success of the project varied locally - presumably depending on how intensively counter staff drew customers' attention to it. The vending machines proved less successful, possibly because their locations were not well known.
Wiesbaden's mayor Christiane Hinninger stated: "With this closed-loop system, we could succeed in reducing packaging waste, saving energy and resources, and promoting climate protection." Mainz's environmental officer Janina Steinkruger emphasized: "Every disposable coffee beaker that is not even produced is a contribution to the protection of the environment and climate."
Behind the scientifically accompanied pilot project is the initiative Reusable To-Go. Restaurants, bistros, and cafes, which sell food to go, have been required to offer reusable packaging in addition to disposable packaging since the beginning of 2023 - provided they use disposable packaging made of plastic. For beverages of all kinds, there must be a reusable alternative. Exceptions apply to smaller businesses that are not larger than 80 square meters and have no more than five employees.
- The successful pilot project in Wiesbaden and Mainz was initiated by the Rhineland-Palatinate Municipality in collaboration with the Hessian Environment Ministry.
- Participating cafes and bakeries in Wiesbaden and Mainz, situated within the state of Hesse, used automatic machines to facilitate the return of reusable cups.
- The success of the project led to a satisfaction rate of 87% in the return of reusable cups within the participating outlets in Wiesbaden.
- The BMU (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety) praised the initiative, emphasizing its significance in waste avoidance and climate protection.
- In the neighboring city of Mainz, city officer Janina Steinkruger expressed her joy in reducing single-use waste and contributing to environmental protection via the project.
- The pilot project serves as a model for other municipalities in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, aiming to expand the use of reusable containers for take-away food and drinks.
- Customers participating in the project showed a high level of support and contributed to waste reduction by returning their reusable cups, ultimately promoting environmental awareness in the region.
