Takeaway without throwaway - Again Again coffee cup lending system launches with T.O.A.D Hall

Tasman coffee drinkers now have another convenient, environment-friendly option for their daily takeaway coffee, with iconic Motueka hospitality venue T.O.A.D Hall introducing the Again Again reusable cup system.

“We are thrilled to be championing Again Again’s open-access cup lending system in the region, to reduce single-use cup waste at source,’’ says T.O.A.D. Hall’s owner Angie Morris.

“Sustainability is such an important part of our business and we can see that Again Again’s system addresses cup waste with a scalable and practical solution.”

Since Again Again launched with 14 Wellington cafes in February 2019, some 160 cafes around New Zealand have joined the cup lending system, including all 16 Coffee Culture cafes in Christchurch, a cohort of 12 Wanaka/ Southern Lakes cafes, and 47 Mojo locations across Wellington and Auckland.

Again Again has partnered with some of the country’s bestknown and established coffee businesses to collectively enable a solution to an enormous problem – the way that takeaway convenience produces single use waste.

“Convenience doesn’t have to mean waste.

We’ve already proved that, so it feels great to be introducing a resolved solution with Angie and her team at T.O.A.D Hall,” says Again Again Founder, Nada Piatek.

Again Again provides a fleet of reusable steel cups, silicone lids and cardboard heat sleeves available by deposit and return at participating cafes. Customers order their coffee as usual.

They pay a $3 deposit when they “check out” a cup, which is fully refunded when they return the cup to any café in the Again Again network nationwide. Again Again then manages cup redistribution around those networks.

By creating a system that works across both independent and chain cafes, and hospitality and event venues, Again Again has developed a practical solution to the 295 million disposable cups that go to landfill every year in New Zealand. Worldwide, the figure is estimated to be 600 billion.

“Having reviewed many possible solutions we felt that a stainless steel cup addressed the issues in a way that plastic doesn’t. The paper sleeve can be reused many times over, and this genuine paper recycling is far lesser of two evils in comparison to a plastic cup - which was the only other viable option for a system capable of mass scale. Stainless steel is a bit more expensive, but well worth it,” says Nada.

Again Again’s system and network focuses on the ‘convenience’ side of takeaway coffee. The company’s early business research showed that fewer than 5% of coffees are served in personal reusable cups, Nada says. “Personal reusable cups and direct one-in-one-out cup exchange models still mean that people have to plan in advance, remembering to wash and bring their cups with them every time, and it just doesn’t always happen.

Everyone wants to be good, but in the moment, you forget. That’s when we’re there for you.” says Nada.

The company estimates that its cafe network now diverts single-use cups from landfill at a rate of 50,000 per month, or around 600,000 cups a year. Nada estimates that will reach a rate of 800,000 by the end of the year, as the Again Again system grows rapidly with sustainability-forward vendors in new regions. Nationwide, the Again Again network already provides customers access to cups on-demand convenience in more than 160 cafes.

“Our system has proven that cafes could easily get customer takeup of Again Again’s cups to the point where the system costs them less than buying disposable cups,” says Nada. “It just makes good sense - for business as well as the planet.”

With whanaungatanga, community responsibility, in its core values, Again Again is also a for-profit social enterprise. A portion of its cafe revenues goes to community partners to support waste minimisation education initiatives.

“Our mission is to make reuse as normal as the convenience of takeaway coffee. Anywhere, every time. People already want to do the right thing, and now we’ve provided a system that makes that possible without sacrificing convenience.”