5,875 reusable cups borrowed. 5,625 returned. A 96% return rate in the first four months.
That's the early result from Tap&Reuse, a returnable cup scheme now running at one of our client sites, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, delivered by Bunzl Catering Supplies in partnership with Circular&Co, and supported by Foodbuy Group.
Making Reuse Easier Than Reaching for a Disposable Cup
Like many multi occupier sites, the catering team at Harwell was looking for a way to move away from single use cups without adding friction for the people using them. Reuse schemes often stall at exactly this point: if the process is complicated, uptake drops and cups end up in general waste anyway.
No App, No Deposit, No Complexity
Tap&Reuse was designed around removing every barrier that normally slows a returnable scheme down. There's no app to download, no upfront deposit, and no complicated return process, customers simply borrow a cup, use it, and return it when they're done.
The scheme has been running at the Lightbox Café & Bar and the DiSH Bar at Harwell since January 2026, delivered by Bunzl Catering Supplies in collaboration with our client, with Foodbuy supporting the partnership behind the rollout.
How Tap&Reuse Works
When ordering a drink, the customer taps the Tap&Reuse terminal to pre-authorise a £0.00 payment for the returnable cup and lid. The barista then scans the cup out before serving the drink.
After use, the customer returns the cup and lid to an approved drop-off bin. If it's returned within the agreed timeframe, no charge is applied, if not, a small charge is taken, and the customer keeps the cup. Operators then scan, wash, and return the cups to circulation.
The result
In the first four months:
· 5,875 cups were borrowed
· 5,625 were returned
· A 96% return rate overall
For a scheme with no deposit and no app to enforce compliance, a 96% return rate shows that when reuse is genuinely simple, people use it as intended, at scale.
Sam Mitchell, Business Development & Contract Director at Eurest, Compass Group UK&I, described the rollout as straightforward, saying the site has moved to a zero-waste returnable solution with little to no stress, and that it has quickly become "the new normal" for both customers and staff.
Shezmin Madhani, Senior National Account Manager at Bunzl Catering Supplies, framed the result as proof of how quickly the right product and service innovation can help customers cut waste and lower their carbon footprint.
Danny Hind, Consumables & Catering Equipment Category Manager at Foodbuy said:
“This project demonstrates how strong supplier partnerships can accelerate sustainable change. The 96% return rate shows what is possible when sustainability is made simple. Bunzl and Circular & Co's expertise and collaborative approach helped deliver a practical, scalable solution that is already producing measurable results.”
If you are exploring ways to reduce single use cups at your site, please get in touch at info@foodbuy.co.uk.
