Places to get discounts if you bring your own hot drink cup/mug/flask etc

With the average disposable coffee cup supposedly taking as long as 50 years to fully break down in a landfill and it being suggested that close to 2.5 billion of them are tossed away every year, it’s time we all do something about it, so we’ve collated all the locations where you can save money on your hot drinks by bringing your own mug/cup/flask etc.

Of course, brewing your own hot drinks either on the go, at work or at home will generally be cheaper but we understand not everyone is able to do this.

What are the requirements for a reusable coffee cup that works at all locations?

• Needs to have a lid
• Be clean
• Be able to fit into a coffee machine – Medium-sized 350ml versions seem to be about right for most machines (if you order a regular/medium

What are the best mugs/flasks to buy?

1. KeepCups
2. bru reusable coffee cup
3. 720°DGREE Travel Mug
4. Insulated Vacuum Travel Mug by Edel Hoff
5. Starbucks’ branded ‘Tall’ reusable cup is £1 which is great value but you become a walking advert…
6. M&S £3 Mug

It’s also worth considering a bottle/flask instead but these might not work in all coffee machines

1. Chilly’s or the numerous other copies including SHO
2. Super Sparrow

Should I just try and persuade my boss / my other half to buy a decent coffee machine instead?

The short answer is probably but it will depend on the amount of coffee/hot drinks you drink on average per week, whilst studies show coffee improves productivity at work and a Harvard study showed a 20% lower risk of being depressed for those drinking 5+ cups a day ¹, I’m sure we can all agree that cutting down on your intake and swapping to water probably is something we all should be considering…

These coffee machines are the best bang for your £.

Which high street locations offer a discount if you bring your own mug/flask?

• Pret 50p
• ‌Costa 25p
• Waitrose free coffee when you buy anything in-store
• Booths free hot drink
• ‌Starbucks 25p + you avoid the 5p paper cup charge
• ‌Patisserie Valerie 50p
• Caffe Nero Double loyalty stamps
• M&S 25p – Although this isn’t made public knowledge so could be location specific
• Harris and Hoole (Tesco Cafes) 35p – no online confirmation
• ‌Greggs 20p
• Leon 45p
• Subway 25p – only if you use their branded cups – no online confirmation
• Ikea’s “family” membership scheme gives you free tea and coffee Monday to Friday.

Which local/independent/smaller locations offer a discount:

1. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/coffee-depression-women-ascherio-lucas/