The Problem with Throw-away cups

• Bars, restaurants, businesses and consumers contribute to the landfill by using hundreds of thousands of Styrofoam or plastic throw-away cups each year.
• Styrofoam is made from petroleum and is NOT biodegradable: 500 years from now those cups will still be around - choking animals and leaching toxins into our soil and water.
• When the St. Croix landfill is closed, where will the throw-away cups go?
  • Ship them off the Island?
  • Burn them and add more pollutants to our air?
  • Both options cost Crucians!
• Styrofoam contains a known carcinogen called “Styrene” that can leach into food and beverage contents, especially when heated.
• More than 100 American cities have already introduced full or partial bans on Styrofoam containers!

The Solution

Research indicates two primary success factors for reducing throw-away cup usage:

1) Provide a quality alternative to throw-away cups for a reasonable price.

• The Recycling Association has sourced quality 16oz cups, with lids, that are INSULATED to keep drinks hot or cold.
  
• Cups include the ‘Good.To.Go’ and ‘Help St. Croix ’logos and are made in the USA from recycled materials.
  
• Cups will be sold to participating bars & restaurants for only $4.
  
• Participating bars & restaurants will sell the cups for the suggested price of $5 - or may sell the cup with a drink for their desired margin.
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2) Provide incentives that reward consumers for reusing and refilling alternative cups.

• Participating bars & restaurants will be encouraged to offer incentives - of their choosing - to stimulate reuse, refill and customer loyalty. Incentives could be: 25 cents off refills, free upsize from 12oz to 16oz, happy hour prices etc.
  
• Details of the discount or promotion are completely up to each business.
• In turn, the Recycling Association will promote interest and awareness of the ‘Good.To.Go’ cup program in newspapers, radio, on line media and local events. The program will also be marketed to a wide variety of organizations and tourism professionals.
  
• Customers will recognize participating bars & restaurants by the ‘Good.To.Go’ poster hung in their establishment. Posters will be laminated and include an area for the business to write-in their desired discount in the white Discount box.
  
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