Sipping sustainably

Every year, 500 billion takeaway coffee cups are produced, with most ending up in landfills. Even compostable cups fall short – only 1 in 400 reaches a commercial composting facility.

To help tackle this, Waitākere Gardens in West Auckland eliminated disposable coffee cups from its café on 31 March 2025.

To encourage residents to embrace the change, in the months leading up to the date, customers who brought in their own cups received a discount on their coffees.

Village Manager, Donna Wallace, said communication was key to getting residents onboard with the initiative. “We ensured a smooth transition by discussing the initiative in village meetings, featuring it in newsletters, and placing reminders throughout the café. As a result, the response from residents was fantastic, and we’re really proud.”