From Single-Use to Sustainable: NU Toronto’s Push for Reusable Coffee Cups 

By Michael Earls with the Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub 

North of the border, on Northeastern University’s Toronto campus, grabbing a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee on the way to class is a daily ritual for staff and students alike. But many might be surprised to learn that these cups are often not recyclable, and the waste is piling up.  

To combat this environmental hazard, the EcoChampions Alliance, a student-led organization founded by Northeastern Toronto staff member Deniz Toker, launched the “Single Use Cup Sucks” initiative to promote the use of reusable coffee cups on campus. 

“Single-use coffee cups have been my pet peeve for so long,” Toker said. “Seeing everyone holding a paper cup almost all day made me wonder, ‘Are they recyclable?’ And it turns out they are not. We wanted to focus on one problem at a time and raise awareness about our impact on the planet.” 

The initiative debuted on Earth Day, with EcoChampions distributing 50 reusable cups to students. The event featured speakers including Amy Casator, founder of Carbon Conversations, who discussed climate action; Winifred Hunsburger, co-founder of the Inside Outside Retreat Center, who led mental exercises on reciprocity; and Aria Kani and Tariq Harney from Break the Divide, who shared insights on community engagement.  

The initiative was made possible by the Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub’s Grant Program, which provides up to $5,000 to faculty and staff to support and encourage the implementation of eco-friendly practices. The grant helped fund various aspects of the rollout, including the purchase of reusable cups.  

Image provided by Deniz Toker. Earth Day event attendees holding their new reusable water bottles. 

Anisha Sidana, a graduate student pursuing a master’s in project management and President of the EcoChampions, praised the Earth Day kickoff: “Our passion for sustainability brought us together. By the end of the day, it was a hit. Everybody was happy, and it was a great starting point for us.” 

The Earth Day event was complemented by a BYOC (Bring Your Own Cup) social media campaign, encouraging the Northeastern Toronto community to post photos of themselves with their reusable cups on Instagram. This effort boosted engagement and visibility, with three lucky participants winning reusable tote bags. 

Image provided by Deniz Toker. The NU Toronto community engaging in the BYOC campaign. 

The positive response moved Toker deeply: “One of our faculty members encouraged her students to participate in this campaign. When they sent me a group picture of them with their reusable cups, I was almost in tears. It was beautiful to see our community coming together for this cause.” 

Image provided by Deniz Toker. An NU Toronto faculty member and their students participating in the BYOC campaign.  

Beyond social media, the initiative has led to ongoing efforts to monitor and reduce coffee cup waste at campus events. Vaishal Kinnar Jariwala, a master’s student in analytics and Director of Communications for the EcoChampions, has been collaborating closely with Northeastern Toronto’s operations team to track coffee cup usage. Together, they are laying the groundwork for significant reductions in single-use coffee cups across campus. 

While the progress is promising, the team remains committed to its goals. In July, the EcoChampions partnered with “Don’t Mess with the Don,” a volunteer-led charity dedicated to protecting and restoring Toronto’s Don Valley, to conduct a community clean-up event. The effort targeted two locations in Toronto where Tim Hortons coffee cups were commonly littered. The group hopes to transform the collected cups into a work of art, highlighting the volume of waste, and sparking conversations about sustainable practices. Additionally, the clean-up provided valuable data for developing location-specific waste reduction strategies. 

When students return for the fall semester, the EcoChampions plan to ramp up their initiative with events combining informative speaker sessions and outdoor activities. By the end of the year, they aim to reduce single-use coffee cup usage on campus by 50%. 

As the EcoChampions Alliance guides the Toronto campus toward a more sustainable future, Toker hopes the “Single-Use Cup Sucks” initiative will serve as a model for the rest of Northeastern’s Global University System and beyond: 

“Every campus should have a dedicated team tackling environmental issues, and we need to hold each other accountable,” said Toker. “By doing so, we can show that Northeastern is not just talking about change but actively making it happen.” 

Written by Michael Earls, 08/20/24