Coffee Cup Reuse Program
Central Ohio Reuse Coalition
The Central Ohio Reuse Coalition (CORC) is made up of nonprofit organizations, local sustainability groups, green businesses, faith-based organizations, and committed individuals who live & work in central Ohio. CORC envisions a central Ohio where reuse of food & drink containers in businesses & schools is the model of choice and is supported by a reuse infrastructure. One of its initiatives is the Coffee Cup Reuse Program.
COTC initiatives are to: (1) implement outreach & education strategies to create public demand for circular policies and solutions; (2) advocate for sensible policies & procedures that encourage reusable solutions and reduce disposables; and (3) encourage business owners, institutions, & event planners to facilitate a circular economy based on closed-loop solutions that replace disposables with reusables.
The Coffee Cup Reuse Program
Columbus is a blue city in a red state, which has preemption laws preventing local municipalities from regulating single-use packaging. The CORC wanted to make an impact and saw coffee shops as an approachable starting point.
The goals of the project were to establish a “reuse beachhead” in Central Ohio and to start a conversation about reuse with businesses, elected officials, & consumers. The CORC also thought a pilot would be a good way to collect data and assess the challenges of implementing reuse systems.
Okapi Reusables
Starting in 2024, the CORC researched reusable cup providers and decided on Okapi Reusables, an app-based service that rents cups to cafes. The Okapi Reuse Program is a simple, borrow-based system wherein users order their beverages in high-quality stainless steel reusable cups, and drop them off at any participating shop. Coffee shops take care of the cups, users save money, and the community gets greener.
Photo by Lenn Black
Launching the Reuse Pilot
Funding was key to launching the pilot, since the CORC wanted to encourage coffee shop participation by making it cost-neutral. It applied for and received a combination of municipal, community, & private grants, which allowed it to slowly expand its network of participating coffee shops throughout the year.
The project was slow to take off, as both coffee shops and consumers adapted to a novel system, but uptake has been significant as time has gone on. The first coffee shop joined in January 2025, and by the end of the year, there were 17 participating coffee shops.
Participating Coffee Shops
Swonderful Times Cafe, Community Grounds, Café Graciela, Kitty’s Worthington, Kitty’s Bexley, Kitty’s Columbus, Sunny Sips, Black Kahawa, Coffee Connections, The Galaxy Coffee, The Light Meeting House, Barrel & Bloom, Moonbird Coffee Company, Casa Cacao, Queer Beans Coffee & Tea, Global Gallery, and Ramble Coffee all launched in 2025.
The CORC found that increased usage at certain sites was more indicative of a core base of dedicated customers returning multiple times per week and that attracting more new customers to a program requires persistent messaging & marketing.
But a pre-launch survey certainly indicated that customers are interested in a better system: 96% of respondents said they wanted to reduce single-use plastic, 93% indicated that they want businesses to reduce waste, and 87% thought a $10 program fee was a reasonable price.
How To Be Part of the Program
Download the free Okapi App from the App Store or Google Play. It’s just $10 to join, which gives you the ability to borrow up to 2 cups at any one time. Borrow a cup by tapping “borrow” on the app and scanning the QR code at the counter as you order. Enjoy your drink! Return your cup to any participating cafe within 2 weeks. Use the app to scan QR code on the return bin.
Plastic Reduction Project-Columbus
The Plastic Reduction Project-Columbus is a proud member of the CORC and a chapter in the Austin-based Plastic Reduction Project. It aims to reduce plastic production, consumption, and waste as much as possible by working with brand owners, schools, and consumers to make better plastic-related choices.
Its emphasis is on single-use food ware, an often unnecessary & controllable yet pervasive source of waste. Shifting to reuse is the primary goal while boosting composting & recycling wherever possible. It also intends to be a platform to help people be more effective & impactful in their own community sustainability efforts.
