Yoyo Cups are the brainchild of Marian Brown, above, and friend Mary Michel, from Edinburgh.
And the catchy name came from Marian’s two sons following a trip to the beach where they noticed how much litter was piling up.
The concept is that customers pay a modest deposit to get their takeaway drink in a stylish reusable steel cup which is refunded when it’s returned.
They can keep the cup and get it refilled as often as they like then return it to any participating outlet.
Each cup just needs to be used and returned nine times to be carbon neutral and when it eventually needs to be replaced it is 100 per cent recyclable.
The ‘game changing’ product is being trialled in cafes in Dumfries and Galloway, as well as in a large-scale 1000 cup trial at three Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) cafes.
In addition, Ostrero, a Scottish organisation dedicated to using good design and new thinking to eliminate waste and promote a circular economy, is also backing the duo.
Marian said: “We have to get rid of single use cups, they cause immense waste and pollution and the costs – financial and environmental – are unsustainable.
“Our work with the cafes in Dumfries and Galloway is proving that Yoyo Cups are a really great alternative – they are popular with customers, benefit businesses and help combat climate change.
“And having an organisation the size of GCU on board for a large-scale pilot project underlines what a game-changer this could be.”
Discussing her sons’ involvement, she added: “Mary and I felt that a good name was really important to getting across how the scheme worked and to describe the benefits, but nothing we thought of really worked.
“But after a visit to the beach with my children we were talking about it they just said ‘it’s like a yoyo’ and that was it, the magic moment of inspiration.
“The idea just sums up everything, the cups keep being returned to the café, the cafes return their old cups to us, the materials for the cups keep on being returned to make new products – the ultimate in yoyos.”
The cups are available locally at the Lean Bean Cafe in Thornhill, and Mrs Green’s, The Stove and Kings Café, all in Dumfries.
Lean Bean owner Ross Mawdesley said: “We love that Yoyo Cups give an easy and affordable way for retailers and customers to avoid using takeaway cups.
“Our customers love that they keep their drinks hot or cold, their affordability, and the fact they can return it for a clean one each time.”
