A returnable coffee cup for a cleaner, greener Trim!
Make one simple change in your routine that will make a positive change in our environment. Help us reduce waste, lower our carbon footprint & protect our heritage town amenities.
Support our sustainable coffee shops for a better environment!
Drink, enjoy, return, repeat. Don’t be shy, ask for the returnable cup!
Trim Community Cup
A Trim Climate Action Initiative
Trim Community Cup is an initiative of Trim Climate Action, with the support of Trim Tidy Towns. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the amount of disposable litter in our environment, in particular, disposable coffee cups. The project is a collaboration with our local coffee shops, who want to reduce waste & to be more sustainable. To achieve this, they are embracing the concept of returnable coffee cups. We have an amazing heritage town, rich in history. We also have incredible biodiversity & natural amenities. It’s a place worth protecting. The initiative is sponsored by Meath County Council & Drogheda Credit Union.
We are a local environmental community group made up of volunteers who are passionate about protecting biodiversity and fighting back against the flood of pollution that is destroying our planet. We want to get the message out there that small changes in our lifestyle can make a difference in our efforts to combat climate change. We believe that the answer to a global problem lies locally, in what we do in our communities.
We organize events to improve awareness of local biodiversity. We highlight the threats to nature that exist and offer alternative solutions to how we manage our landscape. We try & influence local policy to protect biodiversity & push back against climate change. We work with local businesses to convey the benefits of embracing sustainability.
The Problem
Destruction of biodiversity through disposable coffee cups that are left in the environment after a few minutes use. Most disposable coffee cups contain an inner lining of plastic which leaks microplastics & toxic chemicals into nature as it slowly biodegrades.
It’s a huge waste of resources. Millions of trees are cut down each year so that people can hold a cup in their hands for a few mins. The vast majority of disposable coffee cups end up as waste, regardless of what it says on the cup. Millions are disposed of in landfill or by incineration each year, or simply end up in the environment. No disposable coffee cup has ever been composted in Ireland. We don’t have the facilities!
Damage to our towns & amenities through the eyesore of littering, which Tidy Towns volunteers pick up every… …single … day.
There has to be a better way…
How the Trim Community Cup works
A returnable coffee cup to reduce litter in our town, the Trim Community Cup. It stays in circulation, rather than being binned after one use, according to the principles of the circular economy. You pay a €2 deposit for your takeaway cup initially. Return the cup when you are finished to any of our participating coffee shops and get your next tea or coffee in a clean cup at the regular price. Simples! 😁 This is an opportunity for us to do something positive for our environment by making a simple change in our routine. Think of the hardworking Trim Tidy Towns volunteers! Ask for the returnable cup.
Concerned about climate change but not sure what you can do about it?
Support the Trim Community Cup.
It reduces waste, lowers our carbon footprint & helps to protect biodiversity. Just ask for the returnable cup!
- Help us to reduce litter in our heritage town and ease the burden on Tidy Towns volunteers.
- Help us to protect biodiversity by removing plastic & toxic chemicals from the environment.
- Help us to support our sustainable coffee shops (& they make great coffee!).
Let’s make Trim a sustainability hub and aim for zero waste in our environment!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are some disposable cups recyclable?
Most disposable cups are not recyclable as they contain a mixture of paper & plastic, in order to keep the cup sealed. They therefore end up as waste, going to landfill or incineration. Even disposable cups labelled as ‘recyclable’ are not currently recyclable in Ireland as we do not have the facilities to process them. They too end up being processed as waste.
Are some disposable cups compostable?
Disposable coffee cups labelled as ‘compostable’ can only be successfully processed if they are delivered to an industrial composting facility. We do not have any of those facilities in Ireland. They cannot be composted in a home compost bin. They therefore end up being processed as waste.
Why are disposable coffee cups bad for the environment?
As well as being an eyesore, using up carbon unnecessarily, and threatening biodiversity, millions of trees have to be cut down to provide the paper for disposable cups, resulting in a huge down side for the planet. Trees capture carbon, mitigating climate change. They also provide oxygen, remove pollutants from the air & provide a habitat for wildlife. They are good for our mental health & prevent soil erosion. Also, they are amazing!
Why are returnable cups a good idea?
As already outlined, disposable cups are not recyclable and are processed as waste. We discard 366 of them every minute in Ireland (Recycling List Report 2018). “The only way to combat this waste is to reduce our dependency on these single use coffee cups.” (Pauline McDonogh, Waste Prevention Officer, Southern Waste Regional Office).
We have already shown with the DRS (Deposit Return Scheme) that we are capable of returning bottles & cans to claim our deposit, why not with coffee cups?
How does the scheme work?
Pay a €2 deposit for your Trim Community Cup the first time you use the scheme. Bring it back to any of our participating outlets to get your next hot beverage in a clean cup at the regular price. Or you can get your deposit back. It’s so easy! You have enjoyed your guilt-free coffee and no unnecessary waste has been created.
What if I forget to bring my cup back?
No problem! You will have to pay €2 to get another Trim Community Cup, but bring all of your cups next time to claim your deposits and enjoy your coffee break! Remember to bring it back, it’s cash in hand!
Help us to transform Trim into a Green Town, one in which we value resources & our environment.
Working together, we can become more sustainable.
Help us to protect our natural amenities so that future generations can continue to enjoy them.
Savour your guilt-free coffee, knowing that you are doing the right thing for the planet.
Support our participating coffee shops that are striving to be more sustainable.
Join the Green Revolution, Get on the Trim Sustainability Map
Trim Community Cup Members and Stockists
Here you can see a map of where to get your Trim Community Cup. We are actively reaching out to local businesses, community groups and organisations to take on our Community Cup in an effort to reduce waste. As new members take part in our initiative we will update this map. This map is interactive so you can enter your location to get directions, click locations to get information and scroll down below the map to see a list of all of our locations.
A Team Effort!
Trim Climate Action
Trim Tidy Towns
Meath County Council
Drogheda Credit Union
