Sing it Out! Topsham’s going green
Sing it out and sing it loud! A Devon town is boosting its green credentials by encouraging people to take reusable cups to local cafes - and there’s even a special song created to celebrate the initiative.
Residents and visitors in Topsham, sitting on the Exe estuary near Exeter, buy an estimated 10,000 takeaway drinks weekly during the busiest times of the year, with most of those single-use cups ending up in bins and then in landfill or incinerated.
Now people are being encouraged to either bring their own reusable cup or buy a stylish and eco-friendly Love Topsham version, created by a local volunteer group, and available for just £5 from many of the town’s cafes.
As part of a social media campaign about the initiative, there’s a special song written by Love Topsham and performed exclusively by The Liberty Sisters, a vintage vocal trio from Devon who specialise in harmony singing.
They have a passion for tea and coffee…as the song reveals. You can see and hear it here: https://lovetopsham.co.uk/liberty-sisters/
Whether you’re singing or merely sipping, buyers of the Love Topsham cup get a free hot drink right away and from then on anyone with a reusable cup of any kind will get a 20p discount on each hot drink at any of the participating cafes.
Love Topsham is the community interest company of volunteers which helps market the town and has also created improvements including more waterside seating for locals and visitors, and hanging baskets soon to arrive throughout the town.
“Topsham’s fantastic for visitors and locals to share a drink looking over the estuary and we’ve takeaways galore - but that also means a lot of single-use cups going straight into the bin. So we’ve worked with most of our cafes and a great westcountry firm called Circular & Co to produce a truly reusable cup” explains Love Topsham’s Paul Berman.
“And, to help seed the behavioural change needed, we’re giving away a reusable cup to all of our supporters. It’s only a small step towards making Topsham greener, but it’s a great start and one that lots of people can take part in” he adds.
The branded Love Topsham cup also bears the campaign slogan Choose To ReUse and is made from recycled single-use cups and designed for five years of use.
It’s insulated to keep drinks warm and users’ hands protected, and it can be dishwashed over and over again. When eventually replaced, it’s 100 per cent recyclable.
Full details of where to get a cup are on lovetopsham.co.uk and the participating cafes have stickers and posters with the Choose To ReUse message.
