Petaluma's reusable cup project ending successful pilot run

PETALUMA, Calif. (KGO) -- Walk around the streets of downtown Petaluma and you can't help but notice dozens of giant purple bins.

They're all a part of a pilot program called the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project - a first-of-its kind-undertaking that's trying to reduce single-use plastic waste.

As a part of the program, about 30 businesses around the city have been given purple reusable cups to give their customers - which they can then drop off in one of the many bins around town.

"It gets picked up daily, every other day depending on how full it is and then sanitized, and then they get sent back to the companies that are using them," said Dawna Mirante, the owner of Refill Mercantile.

Mirante has one of the bins outside her shop. She tells us she thinks the project has caused the city to be more of mindful of how our daily lives impact the environment.

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"It also starts the conversation for other people to think about reuse, and how many different things they can reuse," Mirante said.

The program began in early August and is set to end next week.

Petaluma city officials say it's been hugely successful, and that over 150,000 cups were returned within the first two months alone.

"That's getting really close to three for every person in Petaluma over the course of two months, which is amazing. That's a lot of waste that was prevented from the landfill right there," said Patrick Carter, the assistant to the Petaluma City Manager.

One resident who uses the cups often is Taylor Stone. Stone thinks the easy access to both the cups and the recycling bins has driven the program's success.

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"It does give you an option on the side of the cup to locate a trash can, locate where you can throw away these cups. They're in all the stores that provide them," Stone said.

Once it's over, data from the program will be analyzed to see just how effective it was at reducing plastic waste.

And for people like Mirante, she hopes it will eventually come back on a permanent basis.

Putting Petaluma at the forefront of combating environmental harm.

"We can be replicated across the U.S. because we have the downtown, we have suburban areas. I just think that I really hope it goes further than what it is right now," Mirante said.

City officials say even after the program is over, the bins will remain on the street for a few more weeks to give people time to return an extra cups they may have.