Hello friends!
We have been working toward a move out of single-use plastic cups for all takeout cold drinks, and the time is here. We've gone through all our existing supply of single-use plastic cups, and we don't plan on buying them anymore. The last plastic cup has left the building!
Read on to learn a bit more about this change we're making to make our operation more sustainable & harmonious with the environment.
For all your future takeout orders, please bring your own reusable cup or purchase one of ours for $10 and get your first fill free. Our standard iced drink size is 16 oz. and we will gladly fill any clean container!
If you're down to eat & chill here with us, we encourage you to let us know so we can pour your drink in a real glass!
A note on why we're moving away from single-use plastic cups:
Throughout the five years we've been running Rebelle (!!), our desire has been to operate in a way that is harmonious with the environment and our community. It's the reason why we work with local producers & roasters, support our local farmers markets, and compost all our food scraps locally.
Trash has always been a problem for us. While we've always encouraged on-premise consumption to reduce trash, the reality is that the majority of our customers are eating on-the-go and the demand for takeout far outstrips for-here orders. We've been thinking about solutions since 2019... and then the pandemic hit and takeout became the only way.
Did you know we went through 1.6 tons of single use plastic cups just in 2020? That's 3,200 pounds of plastic, which takes 36,031 gallons of water to produce. Think of all the better uses for that water, and all the energy it takes to make those cups.
We could switch to "compostable" plastics, but we're not here to lie to you so we can all feel good about our consumption habits. There are ZERO industrial composting facilities in RI and the cups are usually ending up in your trash bins at home. Clover Food Lab in Boston already tried this and they don't love it.
Listen, it's 2022 and the world is heating up at an alarming rate. When we decided to open a small business, we weren't thinking we'd add to the problems, but we are making things worse and it's time to correct that. Maybe we lose some sales and have to live with that... But there's no money in the world that worth the damage we're doing with single use plastic cups.
Starting Friday 8/19, we will not have any single-use plastic cups available for takeout. Your options are to BYO cup, to purchase one of ours for $10 (first fill free! it's a deal!) or to enjoy your drink on-premise using one of our cups.
Thank you for supporting our business during the past 5 years! A big, bold change is a huge risk -- one we are proud to take with your unrelenting support.
Cheers,
the Rebelle team