Cup Up Poulsbo

The Poulsbo Rotary Club initiative to reduce single use plastic cup waste by 80% over 2 years in our very own Poulsbo (and eventually, the world).

50 billion

50 Billion single use plastic cups in landfills every year.

<1%

Less than 1% of these cups are actually recyclable.

The Cup Up Movement.

Are you Cup Up Curious? Read below to learn more!

The Problem

The Pacific Northwest is known for being a national coffee hotspot – and we don’t want to change that! But with 50 billion single use cups going to the landfill every year, we knew something had to give. The problem? The vast majority of disposable paper coffee cups are lined with a thin layer of plastic, typically polyethylene (to make them waterproof and prevent leaks – which is necessary!), which means they are only recyclable through a special industrialized process that is not only rare, but expensive and inaccessible.

The Why

Maybe you’re an environmentalist; Maybe you care that 50 billion single-use coffee cups go to landfills yearly.
Maybe you’re a trailblazer; Maybe you care that your circle picks up a great habit that makes a lasting change.
Maybe you’re a wellness guru; Maybe you care about the effects of micro-plastics on the earth, and in you.

The How

Cup Up Poulsbo is partnering with our local coffee shops to encourage offering re-usable options, either in-store or brought from your home, to be able to reduce single use cup waste by 80% over 2 years. In exchange, they are letting us put up some Cup Up stickers, maybe some informational material, and guaranteeing the acceptance of your (clean) reusable cups (and, in some cases, offering their own reusable cups in-house!).

The Challenge

While partnering with our coffee shops is extremely important, our partnerships with you are invaluable. We recognize that we have an extremely ambitious goal that we absolutely can not do alone. More than just learning something new, this movement is about changing behavior. Accepting a reusable cup in-house is awesome, but remembering to bring your own reusable cup so that you know you’re making a difference is worthy of a gold star from Lars Cupson himself (that’s our Cup Up Viking, by the way). So, what are you waiting for? Join the Cup Up Challenge and make the pledge today!

The Benefits of Joining the Cup Up Challenge

Plot Twist: It goes beyond the landfills!

No microplastics in your daily coffee.

Did you know humans consume an estimated 5 grams a week of microplastics? That’s the weight of a credit card.

No endocrine disruptors.

It’s not just humans who ingest plastic and are affected by the endocrine disruptors in our “plastic world,” as one research study called it. It’s our wildlife, too!