
WESTPORT — It’s about “Caffè Lotta” … “Caffè Mucho” … and the rest of an endless stream of disposable cups containing your caffeine crush.
To help stem the tide of throw-away cups for coffee and other beverages awash in local landfills, Sustainable Westport is launching “Refill Not Landfill.”
The program aims “to encourage residents to utilize reusable cups/mugs at their local coffee shops to reduce waste, combat climate change and help support small businesses,” according to a publicity release.
Most “to-go” paper cups used for hot coffees, tea or hot chocolate are coated with plastic to prevent leaks, which means they cannot be recycled, according to Sustainable Westport.
Plastic cups, used for iced coffee, tea and other drinks often are tossed in the trash, and the group says, an estimated 5 percent of plastic is recycled.
The “Refill Not Landfill” program wants to reward people for joining the effort to reduce the volume of disposable cups in the following way:
- Starting Sunday, Jan. 15 through July 15, bring a clean, reusable cup or mug to one of the participating businesses (the list appears below).
- Order a drink, such as coffee, lattes, tea, matcha, etc., although some — such as smoothies — are not eligible.
- At checkout, scan a QR code and submit name and email address for each drink purchased using a reusable cup to receive credit.
- To be eligible for a monthly raffle, participate at least five times during one month at any participating location. Sustainable Westport will review submissions and select a winner to receive a prize from a local business.
Businesses participating in the promotion include:
- Shearwater Coffee Bar, 833 Post Road East.
- The Granola Bar, 275 Post Road East.
- Green & Tonic, 17 Jesup Road.
- Old Mill Grocery, 222 Hillspoint Road.
- Kneads Bakery, 580 Riverside Ave.
- Westport Library Café, 20 Jesup Road.
- Bubble & Brew at Westport Farmers Market, 7 Sylvan Lane.


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