As coffee chains open up around Britain, there is bad news for those who hoped that the throwaway coffee cup had become a thing of the past.
Starbucks, Caffè Nero and Pret a Manger are among the high-street chains that will no longer accept reusable cups because of fears about safety during the pandemic, despite the British Retail Consortium saying there was “minimal evidence of any risks from reusable cups”.
The move is a blow for the growing army of people who, appalled by the amount of waste produced by their daily takeaway coffee, had started to use their own cups.
It is estimated that at least 2½ billion disposable coffee cups are used each year in the UK. Most end up in landfill because
