Killarney, an Irish town, has rid itself of the "plague" of disposable coffee cups. Three months ago, it became the first Irish town to ban single-use coffee mugs, and now the results are visible.

<h2>Not caring for nature will cost you</h2>

Killarney, a popular tourist town, had a ubiquitous problem: coffee cups littering the streets, overflowing bins and ruining the beauty of the picturesque national parking.&nbsp;

Every year, the town would go through millions of cups — about 23,000 a week — which added up to 18.5 tonnes of waste.

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Now, people are required to carry their own reusable cups with them, and those who don't, have to cough up a €2 (around $2.11) deposit for a reusable cup from the coffee shop. This deposit is returned once the customer gives back the cup they "borrowed".

<h2>Is the move helping?</h2>

Yes. As per the Guardian, the result is pretty evident. Streets and forest trails rarely have the pesky disposable cups littering them.

Talking to the publication, Michael Gleeson, chair of 'Killarney Looking Good,' a group that promotes civic improvements, said: "This was a wonderful and necessary initiative. The amount of cups strewn around is considerably reduced."

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As per Gleeson, these cups were a "plague on the town and countryside."

Not only that, the move is also beneficial to restaurants and cafés, which save up to 20 to 30 cents a cup.&nbsp;

<h2>A source of inspiration</h2>

Killarney's success has become a source of inspiration for other Kerry towns, including Tralee and Dingle, which are also considering emulating similar experiments.

Gleeson expressed his hope that it will soon spread across Ireland and beyond, and said: "Our great challenge is to make our world more beautiful."

Similar initiatives have been undertaken by other towns across the globe. However, their numbers are low, because even the modest goal of eliminating single-use coffee cups isn't easy.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Killarney, an Irish town, has rid itself of the "plague" of disposable coffee cups. Three months ago, it became the first Irish town to ban single-use coffee mugs, and now the results are visible.

Killarney, an Irish town, has rid itself of the "plague" of disposable coffee cups. Three months ago, it became the first Irish town to ban single-use coffee mugs, and now the results are visible. Not caring for nature will cost you Killarney, a popular tourist town, had a ubiquitous problem: coffee cups littering the streets, overflowing bins and ruining the beauty of the picturesque national parking. Every year, the town would go through millions of cups — about 23,000 a week — which added up to 18.5 tonnes of waste. Also read | This stunning visualisation of Mars' gigantic 'Labyrinth of Night' will blow your mind Now, people are required to carry their own reusable cups with them, and those who don't, have to cough up a €2 (around $2.11) deposit for a reusable cup from the coffee shop. This deposit is returned once the customer gives back the cup they "borrowed". Is the move helping? Yes. As per the Guardian, the result is pretty evident. Streets and forest trails rarely have the pesky disposable cups littering them. Talking to the publication, Michael Gleeson, chair of 'Killarney Looking Good,' a group that promotes civic improvements, said: "This was a wonderful and necessary initiative. The amount of cups strewn around is considerably reduced." Also read | Top American museum to remove 'human remains' from exhibits As per Gleeson, these cups were a "plague on the town and countryside." Not only that, the move is also beneficial to restaurants and cafés, which save up to 20 to 30 cents a cup. A source of inspiration Killarney's success has become a source of inspiration for other Kerry towns, including Tralee and Dingle, which are also considering emulating similar experiments. Gleeson expressed his hope that it will soon spread across Ireland and beyond, and said: "Our great challenge is to make our world more beautiful." Similar initiatives have been undertaken by other towns across the globe. However, their numbers are low, because even the modest goal of eliminating single-use coffee cups isn't easy. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Irish town's unique solution to 'plague-like coffee-cup problem' miring its beauty

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