A BELMONT cafe is sparking conversation over customers’ cups of coffee.
F5 Coffee Co on Belvidere Street is one of a variety of cafes across Perth offering a discount for patrons bringing a reusable cup for their caffeine boost.
Owner Kev Pietsch said the move to a 20c discount makes sense for his business.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW“I think, without being over the top and pushy, if there’s an initiative for supporting something sensible, then why wouldn’t we want to support it?” he said.
“I would say that whether or not the environment’s being saved, it makes sense to be clean… it makes sense to be not making rubbish.”
The cafe has had the discount in place for some time, but Mr Pietsch said recent media attention to the amount of coffee cups ending up in landfill has got people talking.
He said along with reusable cups, the industry should be looking at other sustainable, long-term solutions, and raised the issue of compostable versus biodegradable single-use cups.
“In Australia, virtually no one has a commercial composting facility. And therefore, the idea that we’re using compostable cups and paying a premium for a compostable cup, it’s never getting composted. But it is biodegradable, so what does that mean compared to non-biodegradable cups?” he said.
Mr Pietsch also said people should be looking at plastic packaging on the milk used to make the coffee.
“This hasn’t even been touched on yet,” he said.
MORE: Elderly man dies in Dianella after car hits mobility scooter
MORE: Another big Lotto win for Perth
MORE: City of Perth set to green light Elizabeth Quay high rise towers