Gilbert’s Fine Food has teamed up with Wellington-based Again Again, joining the cup lending scheme which provides reusable steel cups by deposit and return at any participating cafe.
Starting this week, Gilbert’s Fine Food owners Kevin and Esther Gilbert are asking customers to pay a small deposit to receive their favourite coffee in a stainless steel cup with a silicon lid.
When a coffee refill is wanted, the used cups can be returned to Gilbert’s or other participating cafes to be replaced with a clean one.
Customers are also welcome to continue bringing in their own keep cup for refilling if they choose.
"We are the first cafe in Dunedin to sign up with Again Again, but hopefully more will join us on this sustainability journey," Mr Gilbert said.
There were also cafes in Central Otago and Wanaka signed up to the Again Again scheme.
With New Zealand coffee drinkers discarding 295million single-use cups a year, thousands of them in Dunedin, it was an important step to take, he said.
Mrs Gilbert said the amount of coffee sold through the bakery was relatively small compared to some of Dunedin’s larger cafes, but eliminating single-use cups was important.
"Dunedin has often been at the forefront of innovation, and this can be another way to step up," she said.
Sustainability is an important aspect of business at Gilbert’s Fine Food, where reducing food waste is also a focus.
Leftover food that is edible is handed over to Kiwi Harvest, compostable waste is sent to Doubt Not composting collective, and the bakery uses excess grain from local brewery New New New Corporation.
The bakery also exclusively uses South Island-grown grain and flour, as well as free range eggs and meats in its products.
"Everything we produce is made from scratch and everything possible is sourced from New Zealand," Mr Gilbert said.
Mr Gilbert has been the president of Baking New Zealand for the past five years, working to develop and support the craft baking industry.
