Some Sask. coffee shops return to reusable mugs after pandemic restrictions lift

The Broadway Roastery in Saskatoon is reintroducing reusable mugs now that COVID-19 restrictions have lifted.

SASKATOON — Some coffee shops in Saskatchewan are allowing customers to bring in their own reusable mugs again in response to the provincial government lifting COVID-19 public health measures.

This includes Saskatoon’s Broadway Roastery, which barista Savannah Kennedy said is partly to reduce waste.

“We already recycle everything that we can, but this is just another step that we can take to help the environment,” said Kennedy.

“If you think about how many coffee cups people go through in a day, it can really add up.”

However, Broadway Roastery has not brought back glassware for customers choosing to stay at the coffee shop.

“As of right now, were still just treading lightly,” said Kennedy.

Earlier this month, Starbucks Canada announced it brought back reusable mugs, along with eliminating plastic straws to protect the environment.

In a statement, Starbucks Canada said it’s focused on reducing waste and that it’s “excited to welcome back the use of personal cups after a temporary pause out of an abundance of caution.”

Tim Hortons has opted to not yet bring back reusable cups.

“We are continuing to monitor the public health environments across Canada as we evaluate when to bring back the use of reusable cups,” said the coffee chain in a statement to CTV News.

At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, when it stopped using reusable mugs, Tim Hortons said it had to delay the distribution of 1.8 million reusable cups that were planned to be prizes in the Roll Up The Rim contest.

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