Kingston Mugshare aims to change the way we coffee. It presents a united front in the name of a crisis, bringing together local businesses and customers alike. It fosters community, reduces waste, and creates sustainable local practices. We would like to distribute reusable Mugshare cups to local cafes as replacements for the typically used paper and plastic cups. The system Kingston Mugshare functions under is quite simple. Customers ask for their drink (to-go or for in-store) in a bamboo and silicone Mugshare cup and deposit 2 dollars for their mug/cup. The customer is then free to use the mug for however long it is needed, and afterwards return it to any location that is also in partnership with Mugshare. This encourages the customer to use sustainable options as it is extremely convenient. Not only is it expected to decrease plastic waste, but we are also hoping to bring the local downtown core closer together and deepen the sense of community. By the end of May 2020, Mugshare aims to:
1. Reduce the use of 500,000 paper cups;
2. Have over 1,500 mugs in circulation;
3. Expand to 8 downtown cafes.
Though these are large goals, they are achievable. The first two goals are estimates of having four large cafe partnerships (based on numbers from the program in UBC) that have participated for the allotted amount of time until the end of May.