Chiswick Waitrose To Scrap Takeaway Coffee Cups

Store makes move after seeing article on this site on plastic free food

Waitrose has told its customers in Chiswick that it intends to replace its plastic and cardboard coffee cups in store. Instead customers with a My Waitrose card who are eligible for a free coffee when shopping must bring along their own drinks receptable.

A huge campaign against using plastic packaging has been underway inspired by the BBC's Blue Planet programme which showed the damage that plastic was doing to the environment. Since then many shops and supermarkets have pledged to look at ways of selling food and fruits in biodegradable ways.

Waitrose says that, "Some weeks ago local residents Tracey Logan and her husband Richard Szwagrzak wrote an article for Chiswickw4.com on their campaign to buy plastic-free food and drink in Chiswick. The audio diary of how they coped was broadcast on BBC Radio Four's The Sunday Programme on Easter Sunday.

Tracey and husband Richard Szwagrzak

"Tracey had approached Waitrose as part of her campaign and the store agreed to sell cheese, fish and other items either wrapped in waxed paper, or placed into her own container."

The new Source shop in Turnham Green, which does not sell items in plastic packaging is also trying to get other stores to follow its lead and let customers purchase items using their own containers or bags.

April 15, 2018