Hubbub launches reusable cup campaign in Manchester
Environmental behavioural change charity Hubbub is running a reusable cup campaign in Manchester to remind people to take their cups with them in the morning.
Launched today (8 January), Hubbub’s ‘Grab Your Cup’ radio jingle, produced by Fun Lovin’ Criminals frontman and BBC Radio DJ Huey Morgan, reminds Manchester’s commuters to take their reusable cup with them when they leave home in the morning.
Campaign stickers will be placed in high street chains, including Costa, Greggs and McDonalds, as well as in independent stores across Manchester, to encourage consumers to make use of their reusable cups on the go.
The ‘Grab Your Cup’ campaign comes as part of the charity’s plans to double the uptake of reusable cups for hot drinks, after new research revealed that Britons buy an average of four takeaway hot drinks each week, with one in five buying at least one a day.
Hubbub’s research also found that whilst over two thirds of people own a reusable cup, only one in six remember to use them every time they have a hot drink. The number of people using reusable cups decreases throughout the day, according to the research, as many people feel uncomfortable asking retail outlets to wash and refill their cups.
Huey Morgan commented: “Helping rid the planet of unnecessary plastic and single-use coffee cups is something I feel really strongly about. My kids are always talking about it, so I was very inspired to get involved. I wanted to make a great song with an important message – hopefully something that cheers people up, gets in their heads and helps them to do their bit for the planet! So, grab your cup cos you know what’s up!”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “In Greater Manchester we are determined to eliminate single-use plastics and we can all do our bit to make that happen.
“While our cafes, hotels and restaurants all play a huge part in this, we need our residents to make responsible decisions, such as carrying and using their own reusable coffee cup rather than using a single-use one. If we all make an effort to make these small changes, we really can make a difference.”
Gavin Ellis, Co-founder and Director of Hubbub, added: “We’re really pleased to have Huey’s support to share the message that a reusable cup is the best environmental option for take-out teas and coffees, and it saves money too. The collaboration is a first of its kind for an environmental charity, and Huey has come up with a real earworm which will help make sure that people remember to grab their reusable cup on the way out of the house.
“This is the first of a number of new approaches we’ll be testing to see if we can shift the needle on reusable cup uptake through positive and playful campaigns.”
The Cup Fund
Hubbub’s latest initiative comes as part of an ongoing partnership with Starbucks, using funds collected from the coffee chain’s five pence paper cup charge.
Since the introduction of Starbucks’ paper cup charge in July 2018, the coffee chain has reported an increase in reusable cup sales from 2.2 per cent to five per cent of total sales, with Hubbub now aiming to boost this to 10 per cent.
In April 2019, Hubbub and Starbucks came together to launch The Cup Fund, providing grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 to fund large-scale disposable cup recycling projects.
Haley Drage, Vice President for Public Affairs at Starbucks EMEA said: “We’re proud to continue our work with Hubbub trialling out of store waste management solutions and raising awareness of the benefits of reuse.
“The Grab Your Cup campaign in Manchester is a unique way to encourage people to always carry their reusables whilst on-the-go and addresses one of the key barriers to more customer adoption. We are excited to try something new and see the kind of impact that it can have.”
You can find out more about Hubbub on the charity’s website. 
