27 February 2020
The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and its League of Friends are getting behind a unique reusable takeaway cup scheme – with the introduction of the Shrewsbury Cup at their cafes.
From this week, hospital staff, patients and visitors can choose to have their takeaway drink served in the Shrewsbury Cup; a reusable cup for which they pay a £1 deposit.
The Shrewsbury Cup will be available in the hospital-run Caffé Bistro and Mytton Restaurant, as well as the League of Friends’ ward block shop. The move will save thousands of single-use takeaway cups and reduce waste at the Copthorne site.
Launching the Shrewsbury Cup at RSH
Customers simply pay £1 deposit for a Shrewsbury Cup, enjoy their drink and then return the cup to any participating café to get their £1 back. The cups are then washed ready to be used again.
Lee Herkes, League of Friends of RSH Shops Manager, said: “We are very excited to be working with the hospital’s own Caffé Bistro and Mytton Restaurant and trialling the Shrewsbury Cup scheme.
“We feel that more people are likely to use the Shrewsbury Cup if it is available to use in more outlets in and around the town. Given the number of people who visit the hospital, it makes sense to be able to offer this scheme here.”
Trish Purfit, Senior Catering manager for SaTH, which runs RSH, said: “We are delighted to be part of this scheme which helps to fulfil the Trust’s ambition to reduce its carbon footprint and the impact it has on the environment.
“We are always looking for new ways to reduce waste from single use items, including the introduction of compostable cutlery and biodegradable straws; and now it is great to be working in partnership with our League of Friends to trial the Shrewsbury Cup on our Shrewsbury hospital site.
“We will be actively encouraging our staff, patients and visitors to use the cup for coffees and teas and also when using our water machines and play our part in reducing unnecessary waste.”
Alison Thomas, co-founder of the Shrewsbury Cup scheme added: “It’s great news that we’ve not only extended the reach of Shrewsbury Cup but also that our 27th site in town is at the town’s hospital.
“Thousands of patients, visitors and staff use the hospital cafes every week and the potential to reduce unnecessary waste from single-use takeaway cups is huge. Places like the hospital site are an ideal environment for the scheme to work. ”