Over the past month we’ve seen a massive upheaval in the hospitality sector. With the mad rush to pivot and save businesses, we have collectively embarked on a path towards single-use packaging, at a rate never seen before. With a very limited understanding of the virus, we reacted on instinct; but sadly that ‘instinct’ is something that was manufactured by the plastics and petrochemical industries over more than half a century.
Now that the panic has started to subside, we can all start to see a little clearer. In that clarity we remember that single-use plastic is not cleaner or safer, and that many viruses and bacteria exist on both single-use and reusables alike. We also start to realise that it is actually far safer for the customer to BYO a cup than to use single-use during the Covid-19 pandemic. The customer knows exactly where their cup has been. And that cafes aren’t allergic to washing cups either, in fact they are perfectly set up for washing dishes. With some soap and hot water (or even better a dishwasher) you can remove any trace of a virus. The same cannot be said for single-use packaging, which usually cannot be washed.
Then it dawns on us that human behaviour, practices and work habits are where the solutions lay. Several cafes in Perth have now embarked on new ways to continue encouraging customers to BYO coffee cups and other reusables safely:
- Some cafes have set-up sanitising stations, where the cup is sanitised with food grade sanitiser (on the outside) before being picked up by the barista. - Others have set-up workflows that allows the barista to pour coffee shots and milk into the cup without touching the BYO cup at all.
- And several are either washing the BYO cup in-store before use, or utilising the Renome Reusable Cup Network. It's not rocket science, but it is equally as important. So to all those cafes in WA that are accepting BYO cups (managed safely for both the health of the barista and the customer) we commend you!
WHERE YOU CAN USE BYO CUPS IN PERTH:
1. Sonder Coffee - Victoria Park
2. Our Ruby Girl - Como
3. Laika Coffee - Lathlain (utilising Renome Reusable Cup Network)
4. Flourish - Floreat Forum
5. Little Sisto - Doubleview (utilising Renome Reusable Cup Network)
6. King and Spoon - Lesmurdie
7. Steam Haus - Maylands
8. Sherbet Bakeshop - Maylands
9. Sky Espresso - North Perth
10. The Glory Box - North Perth (utilising Renome Reusable Cup Network)
11. Whipper Snapper Distillery - East Perth
12. Pixel Coffee - Leederville
13. Tube Coffee - Kingsley
14. Sayers - Leederville
15. Little Donkey Corner - Tuart Hill
16. Lion and Jaguar - Subiaco
17. Uber Caf - Attadale
18. General Public - Scarborough
19. Dunn & Walton - Doubleview
20. Bacetto Espresso - West Perth
21. Daisies - Cottesloe (will accept BYO cups from 2nd June)
22. Samudera - Mandurah
23. Jack and Jill - Kalamunda
24. The Partisan - East Perth
REGIONAL WA:
1. Empire 6714 - Karratha
CUSTOMER NOMINATED (not yet confirmed by cafe): 1. Brewed Coffee - Park Centre, Victoria Park If you plan on visiting one of these cafes we cannot stress enough how important it is for you to bring a clean cup and to respect cafe protocols.
If you’re a cafe that is accepting reusables and want to be on the list, please get in touch. And if you'd like to know more about how food businesses can safely embrace the use of reusables at this time, including advice from Food Standards Aus/NZ, check out our guide here.