The project was officially launched at Cantik Place Cafe in Kiama Downs on Thursday night, where it was revealed Green Caffeen was already supplying 43 cafes from Thirroul to Berry with reusable coffee cups.

The swap-and-go system, foundered by Damien Clarke and Martin Brooks, allows coffee drinkers to use a reusable cup, bring the dirty cup back into participating cafes, and walk out with coffee in a clean green cup.

Their hope is to eliminate a million disposable coffee cups from landfill in Kiama by the end of 2019.

Cantik Place Cafe’s Simone Rossandich said the concept had been well received by customers.

“Damien and Martin approached us, told us the idea and we thought it was fantastic,” she said.

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“I also love the idea it is two local guys and I think it’s really nice they have the community’s support.

“It’s been really well received in our little community and I think on the larger scale of things it will be a really big thing.

“Also what’s very interesting is it’s all age groups embracing it, a customer of ours, Kevin, who would be in his late seventies, brings his green cup in every day.”

Mr Brooks said it was a nervous wait when the first trial took place.

“We trialled 100 of these cups here, and Simone got rid of them in a day and a half,” he said.

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“We were so nervous sitting at home wondering if it was going to work. We came down the next day to see people leaving with green cups, it was Simone who pushed it so well for us early on to the people who came in. 

“That was before we had the app ready or anything, it was still very raw.

“That’s what made us think this is really going to takeoff.”

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