These coffee cups actually have a next step.
I spotted what I thought was a cup-return point inside a coffee shop in Thailand.
At first, I thought it was just another place to dump cups, but when I looked properly, it’s actually more thought-out than that and a pretty great example of recycling and circularity.
The goal is to get people to return their disposable cups in good condition, so that they can be upcycled. Yes, there's a small incentive (each cup is worth one loyalty point), so customers can get a small discount if they return enough cups.
It kind of makes disposal feel like part of the customer journey itself.
Buy drink → finish drink → return cup → get points.
It sounds obvious, but that missing “next step” is often where circular systems break down.
Just to be clear, Café Amazon does sell a wide range of permanent tumblers that are designed to be washed and reused. But this ‘Return the Cup!’ project seems like a great solution for customers who just want to get a disposable cup.
I think this type of system shows that people are usually willing to participate, but only if the action is easy, visible, and built naturally into their routine.
It made me wonder: how many waste problems are actually design problems?
