FAQs
For Cafes
I'm a cafe on the program, how do I receive the poster to display in my cafe?
As we are a NFP, sadly we do not have the funds to print and distribute these to 4,500+ cafes so we kindly ask you to download your poster from here to print independently or you can purchase a Cafe Starter Kit from our shop.
What else can my cafe be doing to be ‘responsible’ besides offering a discount for BYO cups?
There are lots of ways cafes can be more ‘responsible’ in addition to the BYO cup discount. Not offering plastic plastic bags, reducing or eliminating straws, food composting and using renewable energy are just some ways you can add to your ‘responsible’ repertoire. We have put together a guide looking into this specifically, head to our downloads page to get this for FREE.
My cafe can't afford to give a discount, what else can we do?
Even without a discount your cafe can still encourage coffee lovers to bring their own cup. You can also get creative with ideas such as a BYO cup raffle with a free cup of coffee give away once a month for example. Check out our guide on how to be a Responsible Cafe, looking beyond cups.
You could also offer a dedicated loyalty programme for those who BYO. We have designed some cards to help you out – download here.
I am a mobile unit, how do I register?
The map on our website is to help Keen Beans find cafes that are registered to Responsible Cafes so this can be tricky for mobile units. If you are based at a set location each day, we ask for you to register as follows:
- Name of the Cafe including the date (eg Responsible Unit – Tuesdays only)
- Add in the address of this particular location
- Repeat for each day/location
If you are constantly on the move, sadly we wouldn’t be able to include you on the map BUT we’d love for you to share the Responsible love. Head to our downloads page to get your poster and help tell your customers about the hard work you are doing.
How to I register if I do not have a website?
You are still able register with us if you do not have a website! Instead of a link to your website, you can add in a link to your Facebook page, Instagram or maybe a Google Reviews site. Otherwise, please leave that cell blank when registering with us.
I am due to open a cafe, can I register now?
We love your excitement but please hold off. The map is used by our Keen Beans to find trading cafes so please come back and register once you are up & running – we’ll be waiting for you!
I have taken over a cafe but would love to stay signed up. How do I amend the name of the cafe registered?
Please send us an email to let us know the name of the cafe currently registered and the changes you require and we can amend this for you.
I need to make an amendment to my registration, how do I do this?
Please send us an email to let us know the name of the cafe currently registered and the changes you require and we can amend this for you. SOON we will be providing cafes with a login so you can do this yourself – stay tuned!
Which is the best reusable cup for my cafe to stock?
We love all sorts of reusable cups and have created a useful tool called ‘The Better Cup Guide’, to help you make your decision about which mug is the right one for you.
Share a snap of you and your favourite mug with the #responsiblecafes and #BYOmugshot to be featured on our social media stream on the website.
For Coffee Lovers
There are no responsible cafes near where I live/work.....
Most of our collaborating cafes are on board because of people like you, the regulars, starting the conversation and inspiring them to get on board. Get chatting! Check out our guide on how to get a Cafe onboard.
What can I do if I'm a customer who wants to convert my local cafe?
If you are interested in ushering in the #reuserevolution we suggest taking your BYO cup to your favourite local cafes and asking them if they offer discounts for reusable cups. If not, tell them about Responsible Cafes and the growing trend. There are many benefits for their business, including reduced costs in purchasing takeaway cups and promotion amongst a conscious group on our social media and map. Tell them why you as a customer would prefer to shop at a Responsible Cafe and direct them to our website responsiblecafes.org for more information and to register. Check out our guide on how to get a Cafe onboard, including a downloadable volunteer information sheet here for more information.
Does the discount still apply to hot chocolate?
Of course! Our discounts apply to all drinks that are served in a takeaway cup, that means milkshakes and smoothies too! Watch out for those straws, always request to sip not suck!
I have been to a cafe that gives a discount but they are not listed on your map
How do I make my responsible barista happy?
- Bring your cup (and lid)
- Write your coffee order on your cup in a permanent marker or often a pencil works (or use a post-it note – as many cafes write on lids regardless!)
- Make sure your cup is clean!! Most baristas don’t mind cleaning the odd one but if it’s all of them it will massively delay their process and annoy them!
What do I do if I know a 'has bean' - i.e. a cafe that is no longer a responsible cafe or whose details are incorrect?
Please email us via our Contact Us page with the details of the cafe – their name, location and what’s happening and we’ll see if we can roast them back to happiness.
My cafe refused to take my reusable cup/container due to 'Health and Safety' reasons.
Tammy from Gippsland Unwrapped;
“If they genuinely seem to disagree, then I will suggest they check with the Food Safety Unit at the Department of Health and Human Services. Otherwise, I’ll ask that the business owns up to rejecting this environmentally friendly practice as its own business decision, not as something that has been forced upon them.”
With over 4,400 cafes rewarding you for BYO cup, we say take your dollar somewhere else!
Can a cafe really be called responsible if all they are doing is bringing in a small discount for coffee cups?
Our goal is to change the game on single-use waste by nurturing a culture of reuse. We’ve chosen to target a specific item, takeaway cups, to strengthen our impact. We believe in incremental change and if a business chooses to incentivise BYO cups they are showing that they want to be part of the growing trend towards reuse. Promoting a discount is a good start but there are so many other aspects of their business they can transform – e.g. plastic bags, straws, bottled water, composting food waste, using renewable energy, you name it! We are supporting cafes with their decisions and have a dedicated guide to help them along the way.
General
What can my council do to help support Responsible Cafes?
We currently partner with 40+ councils across Australia. This helps Responsible Cafes grow and increase our reach. Check out our council page for more information and get in contact with us.
How do we become a partner of Responsible Cafes?
We are interested to hear from corporations, NGOs, NFPs, councils – everyone! – who are keen to join forces and align with our key messages.
We tailor a partnership package to your requirements such as advertising to our community (Cafes and Keen Beans), sponsored collateral, event & PR opportunities, bespoke materials and more.
I have a media and press related enquiry.
I am hosting an event and would love support from Responsible Cafes
We are more than happy to help out with community and corporate events so please go to our contact us page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, check out our downloadable resources to see if there may be some materials you can print off for your event.
Can someone from Responsible Cafes talk at my event?
We’d love to spread the responsible love and continue to educate the community on who we are, what we do, and the importance of our behaviour changes surrounding single-use plastic,
Please go to our contact us page to send us further details (including date of the event, duration required, location etc) and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We are a volunteer-run organisation so please forgive us if our responses aren’t as fast as your next morning coffee!