The Pavilion Bar (the Pav) are introducing re-usable cups under a deposit scheme, in order to reduce the amount of waste they produce, following discussions with the TCD Plastic Solutions group.
Caitríona de Búrca, a member of the group, explained to Trinity News that the re-usable cups would be washed and kept in circulation. The customer would pay a small deposit for any drinks purchased in one of these cups, which would be refunded to them upon its return in order to collect their deposit. The deposit is designed to encourage students to bring back the cup. The scheme will undergo and trial period. Students will receive a 20 cent discount of their coffee if they use their own reusable cup.
Earlier in the week, a group of students from the TCD Plastic Solutions group met with the manager of the Pav to discuss the deposit scheme as part of the group’s wider campaign to eliminate the sale and use of single-use plastics on the college campus. The group launched a petition on this last week, which has now reached over 1,600 signatures. According to Caitríona de Búrca, a member of the group, the manager was “very on board with the campaign”
De Búrca stated:“In order to reduce our plastic consumption, it’s vital that the students and restaurants work together to reach solutions to the problems that arise. The Pav are particularly waste conscious and are support the TCD Plastic Solutions goal; a goal that would benefit current and future TCD Students alike.”
Members of the group have also been in contact with Trinity’s catering service, The Perch Cafe and the Science Gallery to gauge their interest in the campaign
On behalf of the group, a member of TCD Plastic Solutions, Susanna Garside, proposed a motion on campaigning against the use of single-use plastics at the first Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) council meeting of the year. The motion was seconded by Simon Benson, TCDSU’s Environmental Officer, and passed. Following the vote, Provost Patrick Prendergast tweeted his support for the reduction of single-use plastics in Trinity.
