Co-cup scheme launched at Trinity, DCU and Dublin City Council

Posted on: 08 April 2019

Trinity in collaboration with Dublin City Council, Dublin City University, and 2GoCup Ltd. have launched the pilot Co-Cup Deposit and Return Scheme in the City Council’s Civic Offices.

The issue of disposable/single use plastics has garnered national and international attention in recent years. A recent government funded study estimated that up to 200 million single use coffee cups are used in Ireland every year and these are not recyclable, that is 22,000 cups every hour. The Co-Cup Scheme aims to reduce this figure by implementing a deposit and return scheme for reusable cups in Dublin.

The pilot project which is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and run by 2GoCup Ltd will initially be rolled out in a number of locations including the Buttery and Aras an Phiarsaigh as well as other locations at DCU and Dublin City Council.

Under the pilot scheme when someone purchases a tea/ coffee, there is an additional charge of €1 – a deposit for the cup and when they return their cup they get their €1 back. A lid can also be purchased for €1, which can be kept and re-used.

Michele Hallahan, Sustainability Advisor, for Trinity commented

This is a truly a collaborative project between Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and Dublin City Council and very much in keeping with Trinity’s Disposable Plastic Plan and other Circular Economy initiatives which contribute towards a more sustainable campus. The climate crisis needs to be addressed through collaborative rather than competitive forces, and this is a collaboration we’re delighted to be involved in.

Kevin Murphy, CEO and Founder, 2GoCup Ltd said

2GoCup is delighted to partner with some of our leading universities and Dublin City Council in rolling out this sustainable initiative together. It’s fantastic to see such progressive steps taken to tackle single use cups and we look forward to it continuing across our city and further afield.

The project team hopes that the pilot scheme will test the social acceptance and business case for a deposit and return scheme in Ireland and that lessons learned will allow them to learn how to progress this project beyond the pilot stage.

 For further information, contact:

Dublin City Council, Media Relations Office T. (01) 222 2170, M. 087 740 0277