An independent coffee chain said it has seen sales fall by £250,000 since it banned single use cups last summer. Boston Tea Party (BTP) has called for major national and international brands to follow suit. Owner Sam Roberts said it had factored the loss in takings into its plans and that too many operators were "putting their profits before the planet". Customers must bring a reusable cup, drink in or pay a deposit on a cup they can return to any branch. Boston Tea Party usually sells £1m in takeaway coffees per year but it is down 25%. Mr Roberts says thankfully the business is supported by a strong food offer and most customers are supportive of its stance on single use cups. But he agrees a smaller coffee shop would struggle to finance a ban. Mr Roberts said the firm had stopped 125,000 cups going to landfill, sold 40,000 reusable coffee cups and raised £12,000 for local charities with the money saved on buying disposable cups - roughly 10 pence for every cup.
