The 27th August last saw the official launch of the ‘Shareclub Enniscorthy’ project in the Market Square, Enniscorthy.
This new and exciting circular economy initiative will help reduce the use of single-use coffee cups in Enniscorthy. These are a persistent litter item which frustrated Enniscorthy Tidy Towns volunteers find on a daily basis throughout Enniscorthy.
Thanks to grant funding from Wexford County Council, Enniscorthy Tidy Towns is teaming up with Shareclub – an Irish reusability company which is already working successfully with Greystones Tidy Towns and several other partners – to deliver a project titled ‘Shareclub Enniscorthy’.
The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the financial and environmental benefits of increasing the circulation of reusable cups in Enniscorthy and promoting more circular economy practices. This ties in perfectly with the Enniscorthy urban area being Wexford County Council’s first ‘Decarbonisation Zone’ (DZ) acting as a key pilot zone to test and implement local climate action, emissions reduction, and sustainable energy measures.
Nine coffee shops in Enniscorthy are participating: The Barn Cafe, Cafe 98, Cooney's Cafe, Cotton Tree, Impresso, Little Spoon, Meraki Cafe, O'Briens, The Pantry, and a couple more may also join soon. Each of these shops are being provided with a stock of reusable cups.
Jonathon Hughes, Chairperson of Enniscorthy Tidy Towns, says, "This project will boost the image of participating businesses, will boost our town’s reputation, and will help us retain our gold medal in the national Tidy Towns competition. It will also set Enniscorthy apart as a vibrant, cleaner, and ‘greener’ town to visit live, work, and trade in.”
Outlining the environmental impact of single-use cups, Sarah Fliessbach of Shareclub says, “An estimated 500,000 single-use coffee cups are disposed of in Ireland each day. Single-use cups cost both businesses and our environment through the throwaway nature of these products. Promoting customers to reuse is a win-win for businesses and the environment. And with new EU packaging regulations coming into effect from 2027, which will require takeaway businesses to provide options for customers to use their own containers and, from 2028, to offer reusable packaging within a reuse system, the Enniscorthy businesses participating in this new initiative will be ahead of the curve.”
So how does it work?
The "Shareclub Enniscorthy" project works on a deposit-and-return basis with no upfront cost to the participating businesses. Enniscorthy Tidy Towns has secured grant funding from Wexford County Council to purchase a consignment of 10oz/300ml reusable cups which are being distributed to participating outlets.
A €2 refundable deposit is charged to the customer on their initial takeaway coffee/other beverage, and the customer can claim this back at any participating outlet or swap for a fresh, clean cup when they next visit a participating shop. Some of the participating businesses will offer a discount to customers using a reusable cup.
More information / contacts:
Check out the Shareclub web page: https://www.weareshareclub.com
Email Enniscorthy Tidy Towns: enniscorthytt@gmail.com
