Spar Hackney EAT 17

Eat 17 is now offering customers a free coffee when they purchase reusable bamboo cups

Premium food retailer Eat 17 has launched a crackdown on plastic waste by offering reusable cups and refill stations across its stores.

At the café in its Bishop’s Stortford store, Eat 17 is now offering customers a free coffee when they purchase reusable bamboo cups. For repeat purchases, customers using the cups will get 50p off the price off their coffee.

In addition, the stores have ditched plastic straws in favour of a paper alternative, and introduced refill stations across four different lines.

Consumers can bring in their own bottles, fill them with washing-up liquid, detergent, fabric softener and pay by weight at the till.

Wine refills are also available, and customers can choose from a selection of French or Italian red, white and rosé wines. Customers initially pay for the empty glass bottle, then only have to pay for the refill for future purchases.

There are also plans to roll out a refill station for organic milk in August this year.

Eat 17 are also looking to expand its range of 15 refill stations spanning cereals, nuts, seeds and grains.

“We get a lot of customers coming in where it’s on their mind, they don’t want to buy pre-packed stuff, with fruit and veg and things,” said Eat 17 brand manager Saskia Parks.

“As a whole company, as of a month-and-a-half ago, we’ve put it in our minds that it’s a direction that we want to start moving in, to offer as much loose and environmentally friendly things as possible.”