2GOCups

Killarney's income is 95% from tourists, and they are working hard to make sure the town is sustainable. One of their initiatives revolves around the coffee industry and reusable cups. Several years ago, the city realized that paper cups from coffee shops were filling the trash cans in the National Parks, covering the highways, and ruining the landscape. They devised a plan that is about a year old, and it appears to be going very well. When a person purchases a coffee or a drink at a coffee shop, they can either bring their own cup, sit down and use a ceramic cup, or purchase a plastic 2GoCup for a 2 euro deposit. If and when you turn it back in, you get your 2 euros back. But they do not have single-use cups anymore. It is brilliant, and with most of the coffee shops doing it, it works. We were quite impressed with the program and wish something like it would work in the US. Starbucks does have a similar program, but I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten to take my own cup. After seeing the success here, however, I will work harder to remember my own cup for my future Starbucks purchases.