Analysis and Recommendations for UBC’s Zero Waste Coffee Culture Transition
Creators: name: Heo, Benjamin
name: Li, Janet
name: Yang, Sheng Ting
name: Xu, Nanqi
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2020

description: The University of British Columbia has set the ambitious goal of transitioning away from single-use food ware items and towards a reusable culture to promote a circular economy in which the values materials and products are maintained in a regenerative process (National Zero Waste Council, n.d.). This involves a Zero Waste Food Ware Strategy that focuses on items such as single-use coffee cups. Single-use cups are a major source of waste at UBC, and due to inefficient waste management strategies, much of this waste can end up in landfills. In 2017, 1.7 million single-use coffee cups were distributed on campus (The University of British Columbia, n.d.). Additionally, cafes on campus do not have a strong “for here” culture, contributing to the immense dependency on single-use cups. To facilitate UBC’s transition to a zero waste campus, our Zero Waste team from LFS 450 has been assigned to uncover the barriers and opportunities to the use of reusable “to go” and “for here” cups. We also set out to uncover the reasons for the profound “to go” culture in North America. Our objective was to understand consumers’ and producers’ perspectives in using and providing reusable cups, as well as perceptions about “for here” culture. To address our objectives, we conducted primary and secondary research, surveying 150 campus cafe consumers, and interviewing the managers of four cafes on campus. We also conducted a thorough review of literature. We found that while most cafe customers valued the environmental impacts of their actions, inconvenience was the key barrier preventing consumers from using reusable “to go” options. We propose that there is a lack of consumer awareness about the environmental impacts of single-use coffee cups. Furthermore, we determined that most barriers preventing customers from choosing “for here” were related to infrastructure, for example a lack of space or access to outlets. From our interviews we learned that the shareable reusable mug program, Mugshare, was highly recommended by cafe managers, however the program was also suffering from issues related to losses. Moving forward, we recommend that UBC Sustainability increase environmental awareness for both customers and cafe employees to promote behavioural changes. Making reusable “to go” options more convenient for consumers will also be a key factor in increasing reusable cup use. The Mugshare program may be a good alternative to personal reusable “to go” mugs, however, changes should be made to the program to prevent losses and increase the accountability of its users. Finally, the social and wellness aspect of “for here” can be used to promote “for here” culture. More research should be done to explore how “for here” culture can be implemented in cafes. By increasing environmental awareness, improving and promoting the Mugshare program, and further exploring “for here” culture, UBC Sustainability and campus coffee customers will be equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively change their behaviours and reduce waste production, protecting ecosystems and waterways from pollution and harm. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”