The ABC’s War On Waste documentary, which shed light on the impact of Australia’s convenience culture, has led to a 690 percent increase in sales enquiries at reusable cup manufacturer, KeepCup.
Presented by Craig Reucassel, the final episode of the three-part War On Waste series aired last week and focused on Australia’s coffee industry, mentioning the 1 billion disposable cups that are sent to landfill across the country each year. It also debunked a commonly-held misconception that disposable coffee cups are recyclable.
It seems that the documentary has prompted thousands of Australian consumers to research sustainable alternatives, with KeepCup releasing figures indicating that sales enquiries have jumped significantly, with a 403 percent increase in online sales and a 205 percent jump in web traffic.
“The response to the ABC’s War On Waste documentary has been phenomenal – it’s given momentum to the conversations we’ve been having about sustainability and individual responsibility on a scale we have not seen before,” said Abigail Forsyth, managing director of KeepCup.
“One of the most prevalent conversations has been around the fact that most disposable cups are not recyclable in Australia. Disposable cups spend just five minutes in our hands, but take years to deteriorate in our landfill, or end up on our beaches or being consumed by our wildlife. People no longer find that an acceptable consequence of our convenience culture.”
KeepCup, which was founded in Melbourne in 2009 by brother and sister Abigail and Jamie Forsyth, has sold more than 5 million KeepCups in 65 countries, and while its headquarters remains in Fitzroy, Melbourne, it’s also opened offices in London, England, and Los Angeles.
