The social, environmental and economic impact of using reusable plastic cups in Lisbon

An effective way to decrease the use of disposable plastic, a source of growing concern due to its harmful effects on the environment, is by using reusable plastic cups, something that countries like Germany or Australia are already successfully using for several years. Portugal is now starting, with the introduction of reusable cups in establishments selling takeaway drinks such as bars, coffee shops, and restaurants in Lisbon. Therefore, this thesis indents to study the adaptation of clients and employees of establishments where takeaway drinks are sold, to the use of reusable cups: what are their main difficulties; environmental benefits resulting from it and how can the system be improved. To do so, a questionnaire was applied to 50 establishments' employees working with reusable cups. The results showed that the biggest difficulty for clients when using reusable cups is the extra price of the cup, although clients tend to accept this extra cost over time. Regarding the environmental benefits, direct and indirect were identified. Direct effects include approximately 61.000 disposable cups speared, as reusables were used instead, and less pollution on public areas resulting from the consumption of takeaway drinks. Indirect effects include more interest in pro-environmental practices both by clients and employees. Finally, results also showed that is very likely that the system can be improved through a better manager's perception of the economic impact: considering that the extra costs resulting from using reusable cups are negligible for employees and that using reusable cups does not affect sales.