Sustainable Schools Network Journal: Issue 18

Issue 18 | September-October 2021

l a n r u o J

New Feature: Justine Dillon - Kombumerri Woman Agora School, Roermond | Sue Martin 7-Eleven | Isabela Keski-Frantti | Niall Kennard

Organisation Feature

Australians throw out 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every single day.

Coffee cups are one of the most significant contributors to litter waste in Australia, with an estimated one billion ending up in landfill each year.

m a r g o r P e u c s e R p u C s ’ n e v e l E 7

In 2018, 7-Eleven partnered with Simply Cups – a Closed

7-Eleven have made it so easy for schools to get

Loop initiative to divert used paper coffee cups from

involved. Once a school signs up at 7eleven.com.au/

landfill. Through its Simply Cups initiative, 7-Eleven are

cuprescue, provided they have a local 7-Eleven, they

tackling Australia’s overwhelming waste problem to

will be sent up to three free cup recycling units. Once

save 100 million cups from landfill — equivalent to the

cups have been collected, the school just needs to drop

number of coffee and Slurpee cups that 7-Eleven sells

them off at their local 7-Eleven store, where 7-Eleven

each year.

and their recycling partners at Closed Loop’s Simply Cups will do the rest. This is an essential part of the

Today, of the 720 7-Eleven stores around Australia, over

Program, leveraging existing processes and waste

660 stores have cup recycling units.

distribution while enabling schools to be a part of that.

It is sort of a community partnership.

7-Eleven launched the school’s component of the Cup Rescue Program in November of 2020, with the aim to

Since 2018 when 7-Eleven started putting over 660

get 100 schools onboard by June 2021. The response has

recycling units in their stores, they have helped save

been overwhelmingly successful and really embraced

almost 20 million cups from going to landfill with

by the community. Now 7-Eleven is determined to get as

Simply Cups. If these cups were laid end-to-end, they

many schools as they can to join the Program.

would stretch from Melbourne to Brisbane and would be on their way to Sydney!

“We want to keep helping facilitate the collection of cups and reduce our waste in the environment, and we would

Julie Laycock, 7-Eleven’s General Manager - Customer,

love to have as many kids as possible participating in our

said, “We are really excited to be enabling students and

Program. It is a great collaborative effort.”

schools to do something practical for the environment.”

“We are one of the leading coffee retailers in Australia, and we have to take responsibility for the waste we create and acknowledge we need to be part of the solution. We believe engaging young Australians - who are passionate drivers of change - will enable us to achieve our goal of diverting as many cups as possible from landfill,” she said.

Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware that you can recycle coffee cups like you would other recyclables.

Closed Loop’s Simply Cups upcycle coffee and Slurpee cups into new products such as garden beds, fence posts, wheel stops, street furniture, and roads.

Ms Laycock said, “The Cup Rescue Schools Program is Page 18

invested in the Cup Rescue Schools Program. They often receive letters from school children around the country who feel worried about their future and plastic’s impact on their environment. 7-Eleven has written letters back to some of these kids, and they genuinely love the fact that they are taking the initiative to protect their environment and stepping up for what they believe in.

such an important initiative. Young people are the future,

It is also interesting and exciting to see the range of

and they understand the need for this kind of initiative,

people who have contacted the Company to participate

so we must make it easy for students to get involved. Our

in the Program. Lara adds, “we have not only students,

mission is to educate the next generation as they will be

but we also have parents, teachers, sustainability leads,

leading it.”

janitors reaching out to us. The fact that entire school communities want to be a part of the change is truly

7-Eleven receive letters from young people often. One

inspiring.” Anyone can apply and put their school up for

special letter came in September 2019, when then

nomination. “We want to empower young Australians

11-year-old Georgia Holt from Perth wrote to 7-Eleven’s

to make a change and not to be afraid of doing it,” says

Chairman Michael Smith calling the Company to take

Lara.

action on sustainability and plastic pollution. Georgia had been cleaning a creek near her house where she

Initiatives like 7-Eleven’s partnership with Simply Cups

would often find a significant amount of litter and

and their Cup Rescue Program, the Free Coffee with a

rubbish such as cups, straws, and lids. Mr Smith not

Reusable Cup Campaign, as well as reusable products –

only replied to Georgia, but he also visited her and her

the Slurpee drink bottles and Cups, are just some of the

family. The Company then coordinated the installation

ways the Company is beginning to make changes to be a

of a cup recycling point for her local 7-Eleven store.

better corporate and global citizen.

The Program started in 7-Eleven stores because they acknowledged their responsibility as a company to the

Get involved today by signing your school up to the

community. “We are one of the biggest coffee retailers in

7-Eleven Cup Rescue Program!

Australia, so we knew that we needed to be a part of the solution. That is where the 7-Eleven Cup Rescue Program came true with the help of our partners, Simply Cups,” says Lara Stephens, 7-Eleven Brand Specialist. Then, knowing the kids were sending letters, 7-Eleven decided to expand the Program into the communities, starting with schools.

“Our Sustainability Enterprise-Wide Strategy is currently in the works, and we are excited to be partnering with Prosperous Planet to have a unique and powerful sustainability approach.” - 7-Eleven

Organisation Feature

7-Eleven’s Chairman, Board and CEO are incredibly

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COMMUNITY FORUMS

Are you ready to make change for your school?

The Containers for Change scheme is helping Queensland community groups and schools raise funds through 10-cent refunds from eligible drink containers.

Want to know how to get involved?

Join us for morning tea and connect with your local Container Refund Point at one of our free Community Forums.

Grab a copy of our free Fundraising Guide and access a range of tools to help boost your fundraising, and help clean up your community at the same time.

Secure your free spot at these forum locations: Community

Date

Venue

Brisbane East

Friday 17 September - 10am

Coorparoo RSL

Brisbane West

Tuesday 21 September - 10am

Sherwood AFL Club

Redlands

Wednesday 29 September - 10am

Redland Bay Golf Club

Sunshine Coast South

Wednesday 6 October - 10am

Maroochy Surf Club

Gold Coast North

Friday 8 October - 10am

Nerang RSL

Ipswich

Friday 15 October - 10am

North Ipswich Reserve Corporate Centre

Gold Coast South

Tuesday 19 October - 10am

Currumbin RSL

Logan City

Wednesday 20 October - 10am

Diggers Services Club

Brisbane North

Friday 22 October - 10am

Kedron-Wavell RSL

Moreton Bay

Monday 25 October - 10am

Caboolture Sports Club

Sunshine Coast North

Thursday 4 November - 10am

Tewantin RSL

Book your seat now at www.cfcqld.com/CommunityForums

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n o i t a c u d E g n i n i g Reima The Sustainable Schools Network aims to educate and connect school communities to imagine a sustainable future.

For more information email: info@ssn.org.au www.ssn.org.au