Sydney's First Free Reusable Coffee Cup Sharing Network Is Launching This Week

The war on waste is here to stay, especially in the cafe scene, but even the most environmentally conscious among us can stumble. Perhaps there's a stash of reusable cups sitting on your desk, because you never seem to have one with you when you're ordering a coffee. Maybe you haven't invested in a takeaway container yet. Or, you could prefer the convenience of a swap-and-go system, where there's always a clean cup waiting.

Thanks to Green Caffeen, Sydney is welcoming its first reusable coffee cup sharing network — and, in even better news, it's free. Already up and running across much of the nation, primarily in regional areas, the scheme will launch on Tuesday, May 7 at Infusion on Clarence in the CBD. If you head by from 7am–1pm, you'll not only nab a green-hued container, but a free cuppa made with Danes Specialty Coffee's beans to go in it.

Here's how Green Caffeen works: you download the app to sign up, grab a cup at your local participating cafe and then drop it off next time you're getting a brew — while nabbing your next coffee in a new cup. Each container comes with a barcode, so they're simply scanned in and out. You can scan out two at a time, in case you do still forget to bring your cup with you. And if you've had one in your bag for 15 days, you'll receive an email reminder to take it back (although most folks can't go without a caffeine hit for that long).

Made in Australia, Green Caffeen's cups are made from BPA-free polypropylene — and the Kiama–based startup aims to save one million disposable coffee cups from landfill by the end of this year. So far, the scheme is available in 165 cafes around the country.

A similar program, called Viva La Cup, kicked off in Melbourne last year, while Sydney's inner west is also contemplating its own reusable cup pilot.

For more information about Green Caffeen, head to the scheme's website.