Coffee Cup Levy

What is the coffee cup charge? 15p charge on disposable coffee cups on campus 

To meet our goals on waste and carbon emissions reduction the University of Huddersfield and the Huddersfield Students’ Union have committed to reducing the number of single-use items being used every day on campus. Charging for these items, such as disposable cups, has been shown to be very effective in reducing this type of waste. 

Coffee cup waste is increasing 

  • 7 million disposable cups are used and thrown away in the UK every day 
  • 2.5 billion disposable cups are thrown away in the UK every year 
  • This creates approximately 25,000 tonnes of paper cup waste each year 
  • Only 1 in 400 (0.25%) cups are recycled 
  • Over 1 billion goes to landfill 
  • By 2025, 3.5 billion disposable cups will be thrown away each year in the UK 
  • The University used over 158,633 disposable cups in the year before this charge was put in place

Sources: The UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (2017 Report); The Observer recycling 2020; Guardian 2017; 1 disposable cup used across University and Students’ Union outlets in 2021/22 

Reusable cups 

  • You can buy reusable cups in the Students’ Union shop and at all Huddersfood catering outlets
  • Cups can be washed in the SU shop, Common Rooms, and kitchenette areas across campus 
  • Hot drinks are served in crockery at the Toast House if you are eating in 
  • Reusable cups can also be used in vending machines – the machine will sense when your cup is there instead of giving you a disposable cup 

What will happen to the money collected? 

The money raised from the 15p cup charge will be allocated to fund further sustainability initiatives. This includes investment in more sustainable options in catering services and developing more opportunities for students and staff to take part in food growing and nature projects on campus.  

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