Haslemere is taking action against the mountains of waste generated by single-use coffee cups with the introduction of the Haslemere Cup. 

Initiated by Love Haslemere Hate Waste, the Haslemere Cup implements a deposit return scheme for coffee cups.

Being the first of its kind in Surrey, the Haslemere Cup is launching exclusively at Oliver’s, located in Charter Walk, with the aim to expand the scheme to other cafés throughout the town. 

With the Haslemere Cup, customers can purchase take-away coffees as usual, with an additional £1.50 deposit per cup. Once the coffee is enjoyed, customers can return the cup to Oliver’s and receive a £1.50 deposit refund. For every subsequent coffee purchased, Oliver’s is offering a 30p discount.

The cups are designed to be spill-proof, insulated and dishwasher safe.

Customers can also return the cup and lid unwashed to Oliver's, who will clean the reusable Haslemere Cup before reintroducing it into circulation.

Victoria Page, founder of Love Haslemere Hate Waste, said: “Single use coffee cups never biodegrade. The Haslemere Cup is a brilliant scheme enabling coffee lovers to enjoy their coffee, without the guilt of polluting the environment once the coffee’s gone and the cup’s been discarded.

"It’s also a great example of several organisations working together to solve a big problem and I look forward to welcoming other coffee shops into the scheme too.”

By choosing a reusable cup, coffee lovers in Haslemere can actively contribute to the reduction of single-use coffee cups that end up in landfills. According to an Environmental Audit Committee report, less than 1 in 400 cups are recycled, and the UK discards 2.5 billion take-away cups annually.

Thanks to grant funding from Surrey Climate Commission, the deposit return scheme aims to significantly decrease the number of single-use coffee cups in the town.

Richard Essex, Chair of Surrey Climate Commission, added: "Surrey Climate Commission is very supportive of Haslemere’s cup deposit return scheme, and we were pleased to be able to provide this project with a grant.

"Community-based projects like this can make a real difference to engage people at a local level.”

The Haslemere Cup is just one of the initiatives undertaken by Love Haslemere Hate Waste. Others include the Repair Cafe, held on the first Saturday of every month at the Swan Inn, and the upcoming launch of the Library of Things at Haslemere Library.

The Library of Things will enable residents to borrow DIY and gardening items instead of purchasing them.