The City of Middletown is excited to announce its Refill, Not Landfill Coffee Cup Passport program will be launching on Thursday, July 21, 2022.  The program encourages coffee drinkers to bring reusable cups for their coffee and tea drinks in order to reduce waste, combat climate change, and save money.

State and local officials are struggling to manage solid waste generated by residents and businesses. With the closure of the MIRA waste to energy facility, more waste is being delivered out of state, ultimately increasing trash removal costs. The simplest way to combat this is by reducing waste, starting with single use items like cups, bags, utensils, and take-out containers.  Currently, over 140 billion cups of coffee are consumed yearly in America, and North Carolina State University reported in 2020 that Americans used 136 million paper cups daily.  The Refill, Not Landfill Coffee Cup Passport program is designed to reduce the use of disposable coffee cups in the Middlesex county area.

When participants bring a reusable cup to the participating shops, they will receive a stamp on their coffee cup passport.  Once five stamps are collected, the passport is entered into a free raffle.  Drawings will be conducted on a monthly basis through the end of November.  Prizes are listed on the City of Middletown web page:  https://www.middletownct.gov/1320/Refill-Not-Landfill-Coffee-Cup-Passport-

The City of Middletown will be hosting a Coffee Cup Passport Table on July 21 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Perk on Main to kick off the program.  Customers can learn about the program and pick up their coffee cup passports.  Free reusable travel cups will also be available while supplies last and when a commitment is made.

Participating shops are: 
Perk on Main, Story & Soil, Perkatory Roasters, Klekolo World Coffee, and Essex Coffee & Tea.  All participating shops will have passports available through November.  

Once full, passports can be dropped off at:

- Perk on Main, 386 Main Street, Middletown
- Story & Soil, 413 Main Street, Middletown
- Perkatory, 725 Main Street, Middletown
- Essex Coffee & Tea, 51 Main St. Essex
- Middletown Public Works Office, 245 Dekoven Dr. (City Hall, Room 210)
- Reboot Eco. 131 River Road, Middletown  

This waste reduction program is made possible by a generous grant from the Rockfall Foundation, the City of Middletown, and, of course, all of the participating coffee shops. Any coffee shop in the Middlesex County area interested in participating can join by contacting the City of Middletown Recycling Coordinator, Kim O’Rourke, at [email protected].