A COFFEE shop in Oswestry is hoping to follow in the footsteps of another Shropshire town by providing reusable takeaway cups.

Tom Jones – owner of Liar Liar on Albion Hill – is confident that a scheme currently rolled out in Shrewsbury which aims to eliminate single-use cups, would also be successful in Oswestry.

The proposed scheme which has been put forward to Oswestry BID by Tom, would hopefully run similarly to its neighbours' – named Shrewsbury Cup – which sees customers purchasing a hot drink from participating cafes in a reusable cup for a £1 deposit – before returning the cup to any cafe involved in the scheme for their £1 back where it will be cleaned for the next customer.

He said: "A few months ago I came across Shrewsbury Cup, which is a collaborative scheme funded by a governing body, so it gives the opportunity for small independents to get involved.

"I think lots of people want to reduce their waste but it's hard as it's often less convenient, this scheme would take out the need to remember your cup or even wash it out – you simply buy the cup with your coffee for an extra £1 then drop it off at any store involved to get your money back or just swap it next time.

"I don't think Oswestry has a massive take-out market so it's a perfect opportunity to get rid of single use cups altogether.

"We can really get behind it and set a standard for the rest of the country to follow."

Keen to roll out the idea as soon as possible if the request for funding is successful, Tom hopes other local businesses will get on board by becoming one of the participating cafes who would provide the reusable cups, making it more accessible and available.

"I hope to secure the funding to make it happen by the end of this month," he added.

"After that, the turn around for the cups will be a few weeks, so realistically eight to 10 weeks for its possible start is my aim.

"It isn't in concrete yet but the conversations I've had makes me believe the interest is there and once I know the funds are in place, I can try to nail down some support.

"I will do everything I can to make it happen but it's not something I'm trying to take personal glory from – I'm just trying to do my bit."