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Rain and wind. Low 52F. Winds S at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..
Rain and wind. Low 52F. Winds S at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
OKAPI Reusables will allow people to borrow and return reusable insulated stainless steel cups for hot drinks and glass tumblers for iced drinks.
A new program aimed at letting customers borrow reusable stainless steel cups for use in participating San Mateo businesses has started, with hopes it will increase sustainability and environmental awareness.
The partnership between the city of San Mateo and OKAPI Reusables will allow people to borrow and return reusable insulated stainless steel cups for hot drinks and glass tumblers for iced drinks. The participating businesses now include: 3 Bees Coffee, at 224 E. Third Ave.; Urban Ritual, at 140 B St.; Meet Fresh, at 227 S. B St.; and Heere Tea, at 253 S. B St.
Customers visiting the cafes can borrow the cups after registering on the OKAPI Reusables mobile app and scanning a QR code at the cafe counter. Customers can download the app from Apple or Google Play and must pay a one-time $10 membership fee to use the cups. Bins will be in the four participating businesses, and customers will return cups after. San Mateo Sustainability Analyst Andrea Chow said 3 Bees Coffee offers 12- and 16-ounce stainless steel cups. The other three will offer 20-ounce cold cups, and Urban Ritual and Heere Tea will provide hot drinks in stainless steel 16-ounce cups.
“I am very excited there were four businesses interested in participating in this,” Chow said. “I think it shows a lot of interest and leadership in sustainability and reducing waste because these businesses are stepping up to educate the community on waste reduction.”
“Here at Urban Ritual, we always try to be more environmentally conscious,” David Zhou, owner of Urban Ritual, said in a press release from San Mateo. “Hopefully, as OKAPI grows, a network of rotating cups will develop within the community and will further the reduction of waste, improving environmental sustainability.”
San Mateo is the first city in the county to participate in the program thanks to funding from the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability, Chow said.
OKAPI was started during the pandemic in Portland as a way to help store owners use reusable cups and ensure customers had an alternative to throwaway cups that can damage the environment. According to Chow, OKAPI saw 1,500 cups saved annually in Portland, with more possible as more people use the program.
“We will be monitoring how many cups are checked out because every reusable cup checked out means one less single-use disposable that was used in our community,” Chow said.
Chow believes the pilot program will be more successful if more businesses join, and she hopes more will participate. She noted the program builds on the city’s Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance, which prohibits most single-use plastics at restaurants and requires compostable to-go products.
People can go to okapi-reusables.com for more information.
People can go to okapi-reusables.com for more information.
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