Generally accepted about town, reusable cups have been propelled into the spotlight as the must-have socially responsible accessory for coffee runs in the wake of ABC documentary War on Waste. 

Twelve businesses across the region have registered with national BYO cup list responsiblecafes.org in the past week.Gove Cycles and Bike Rack Cafe owner Sharine Shaw said they had always accepted personal cups but now, after the show, offered a five per cent discount for use.

“It’s been really popular and has generated a lot of discussion between staff and our customers,” Ms Shaw said. “It saves us money, it saves the customers money, so we’re all happy.”

Australians throw out more than 3 billion cups and lids each year. Most cannot be recycled. War on Waste encourages people to make lifestyle tweaks, like bringing their own cups – hot chocolate drinkers included.