Green Caffeen founders Martin Brooks and Damien Clarke have signed up seven cafes in Milton, Ulladulla and Mollymook to join the 150 cafes that have embraced the scheme. Green Caffeen allows coffee drinkers to use a reusable cup, bring the dirty cup back into participating cafes, and walk out with coffee in a clean green cup.

The project was launched in Kiama in August and has swept across the east coast of New South Wales and as far north as Noosa. Milton-Ulladulla is as far as south as the project has reached, so far.

Maverick Coffee, The Sunday Life, Treehouse, Tallwood Eatery, Peach Cafe, Flour Water Salt and Annabel’s Cafe in the Milton-Ulladulla region have jumped on board. 

The pair were approached by a woman a few months ago who wanted to see the scheme in the region.

“She was a local girl who cares for the environment. She was so passionate about it,” Mr Brooks said.

They took a few months to set-up in other areas, but have arrived in time for the Christmas holidays.

Mr Martin said they wanted coffee drinkers to be able to leave Sydney, or Kiama, and have the ability to swap their cups in the area.

“You can go in and out of any cafe, drink it, hand [the cup] to another cafe and swap around,” he said.

Mr Clarke said several coffee shops had embraced the idea. He expected more to sign up once the project took off.

“Ulladulla is very similar to any other coastal town we go to, it’s probably a little bit greener more than what we’ve found,” Mr Clarke said. 

“People know there is a problem with coffee cups and know there is a problem with waste. If it doesn’t get handled correctly it’s going to end up in the ocean or straight to landfill and people want to make a difference.

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