The University of Winchester has prioritised sustainability and is currently using recycled chewing gum from campus to create free reusable coffee cups for students and staff.
The recycled chewing gum in the cups accounts for 20% of the cup, the rest is made from other recycled plastics.
Instead of offering a discount for those using a reusable coffee cup, Winchester has implemented a 25p surcharge for those using a disposable one, finding that the psychological impact of a surcharge is more effective.
In its first year, the campaign resulted in over 35,000 fewer single-use cups being used on campus, with an increase of 900% in reusable coffee cups.
The data revealed that if 33% of drinks were sold in reusable cups in the UK – mirroring the sales on campus – 825 million disposable cups could be saved per year.