Borrow . Use . Return
Wangim aims to remove the need for single-use cups.
Sustainability Victoria estimates that one billion single-use coffee cups are used in Australia every year. Due to both our recycling crisis and difficulty in breaking down materials, most of these cups end up in landfill.
At an individual level, one Darebin cafe has estimated that it uses 40,000 single-use cups annually. The role of individual cafes in both contributing to, and addressing, waste creation is something we should not underestimate.
The Wangim project aims to be a zero-waste model for other businesses, with the long term goal of inspiring similar zero-waste networks across Australia.
How does it work?
If you order a coffee and don’t have a reusable cup with you - simply borrow a Wangim cup. It’s no extra charge and all you need to do is return the cup to a participating cafe.
All Wangim cups are washed and stored using Council-approved, COVID-safe processes.
Why “Wangim”?
“Wangim” is the local Woiwurrung word for “boomerang” and has been used with permission from the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Cultural Corporation.
The project is one response to our community’s waste crisis and recognises the need to nurture and protect the land that we live on.
The word “wangim” captures the idea of a cycle of reusable cups that are borrowed and returned. It is also a deliberate decision to begin to better emphasise the local Indigenous language in our shared, local lexicon.
Who is Little Rocket?
A creative and strategic company based in Collingwood. Little Rocket provided the creative artwork for the Wangim project. They are a 100% owned Indigenous business with roots to the Gurindji people of the Northern Territory.
Their work includes graphic design for the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, 3 Emus Recruitment and Freedom Day Festival.