Tim Hortons has no plans to stop using mugs and plates despite pilot project
Tim Hortons has no plans to abandon the use of porcelain cups and mugs, despite a small pilot project in a few markets in which stores switched entirely to disposables.
A report in the Globe and Mail on Monday suggested that the coffee and doughnut chain was considering switching to entirely disposable dishware and cutlery as a cost-saving measure.
The plan was only in effect in non-traditional locations such as kiosks, hospitals, schools and gas stations where patrons almost exclusively take their purchases to go, but when asked for comment on the report on Monday, a spokeswoman was quick to dispel the notion that the chain was contemplating getting rid of dishes and glassware entirely.
"From time to time and for a variety of reasons we test different operating procedures in a very small number of restaurants," said Tim Hortons director of public affairs Michelle Robichaud. "In this case, there were fewer than a dozen of our almost 4,000 locations involved and at no time was removing china from our standard restaurants contemplated."
"This very small test is winding up and we continue to be committed to offering our guests china in our restaurants."
Recycling problems
The move comes amid a controversy surrounding the chain's environmental policies. A recent CBC Marketplace investigation uncovered that the recyclable coffee cups the chain uses frequently end up at a landfill, even if customers throw them into recycling bins inside Tim Hortons locations.
Broadly speaking, permanent dishes are a greener option than disposables because they can be cleaned and used repeatedly rather than end up in a landfill or recycling depot after one use.
On its website, Tim Hortons trumpets its plates and mugs for their environmental benefits. "Tim Hortons is one of the few quick service restaurants to offer china mugs, plates and bowls to guests eating in our restaurants," the company says. "This helps to reduce paper waste being created in the first place."
