Reducing the use of single-use paper cups will help protect Greystones’ coastal, rural and built environment. Wicklow County Council, in collaboration with Greystones Tidy Towns and supported by local cafés and sports clubs, launched the Greystones Cup Campaign on Thursday 12th February at The Grid, Greystones. The campaign is funded by the Anti-Dumping Initiative and Wicklow County Council’s Climate Action Team. The cup was designed and is manufactured by a local Wicklow business.
The objective of the campaign is to reduce the number of disposable paper cups used in Greystones by encouraging coffee and tea drinkers to:
- Sit in and use ceramic cups
- Bring their own reusable cup
- Use the Greystones Cup
The campaign aims to drive long-term behavioural change. Just as bringing a reusable shopping bag has become second nature for many, carrying a reusable coffee cup can become a simple daily habit.
Greystones Tidy Towns has been involved in the campaign from the beginning, drawing on its experience from local litter picking initiatives, contributing to design and communications, and engaging with cafés and the wider community.
Speaking at the launch, Cathaoirleach of Greystones Municipal District Cllr. Lourda Scott, said:
“This is a great step forward in our mission to eliminate unnecessary single-use packaging. Our beaches, parks and open spaces require significant voluntary and council resources to keep clean. If we can encourage more people to sit in or bring their own cup, there will be far fewer disposable cups to clean up. This campaign is about behavioural change, and I am delighted to support it and to acknowledge the effort and collaboration of all those involved.”
Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, commented: “We are delighted to launch the Greystones Cup Campaign with the support of Greystones Tidy Towns. The Anti-Dumping Initiative continues to provide valuable opportunities for local authorities to reduce litter. Based on national disposable cup consumption figures, Greystones could potentially be discarding in excess of 3,000 disposable cups per day. This campaign will work to significantly reduce that number.”
Theresa O’Brien, Director of Services for Climate, Environment, Recreation and Amenity (CERA), added: “This campaign brings together community groups, local businesses and the Council to address the challenge of litter in our environment. We are very pleased to work with the community of Greystones to support this important initiative and to promote practical climate action at a local level.”
For further information about this campaign, please visit Greystones Cup