A&W Food Services of Canada has rolled out a nationwide exchangeable cup programme, A&W One Cup, in a bid to reduce single-use cup waste.

The fully circular and exchangeable cup programme has been designed with a commitment to zero waste.

To become a member, customers are required to purchase an exchangeable One Cup for C$3 with any beverage order.

This One Cup must be brought during the next visit to A&W to exchange it for a freshly cleaned and sanitised One Cup and receive a 20-cent discount on the beverage.

This programme eliminates the need for customers to wash the cups as it is taken care of by the A&W-branded restaurant.

Any A&W restaurant offering frosty glass mugs can exchange an A&W One Cup.

So far, A&W said it has kept more than 55,000 cups out of landfills since the programme's pilot launch in select Canadian markets.

A&W anticipates that this figure will reach into the millions during the first year of its nationwide rollout.

A&W Canada Food Safety, Animal Welfare, and Environment vice-president Angela Griffiths said: “At A&W, our commitment to our zero-waste journey is unwavering, and addressing the single-use cups waste issue is a significant stride towards our journey to zero-waste.

“That's why we're thrilled to introduce our One Cup programme nationwide in Canada. When crafting this programme, we prioritised making it effortless, convenient, and accessible for our guests.

“We do the dishwashing for our guests so that they can enjoy the benefits of using reusable cups without the hassle.”