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ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ launches brand new sustainable cups, designed by students!

Friday, 25 September, 2026

We are proud to reveal our brand-new sustainable cups. Chosen from a student design competition, the “Bath Spa Castle” and “Bugs of Bath” cups are now available to buy from ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s catering outlets such as The Refectory.

The cup designs were chosen through a competition, launched in April as part of Green Week activities.  The competition was created to give BSU students the opportunity to unleash their creativity and create a unique piece of art for the cup. They were provided with a template and the theme ‘Natural Bath’. After many fantastic submissions, the winners were then chosen by a voting panel consisting of the BSU Sustainability Team, BSU Catering team and the SU President.

Two winners were selected, Sarah Reece and Harry Jones-Whitehead, whose designs were chosen after careful consideration.

Reflecting on her design, Sarah said:

"My design is an illustration highlighting the creatures of nature in Bath, if one could slow down and appreciate every green space we have, who knows what we'd find hiding amongst the leaves! Each bug is mythical and diverse, much like those of us at Bath Spa!”

Harry Jones-Whitehead’s ‘Bath Spa Castle’ design is a personal reflection of his time at BSU. Speaking about the design, Harry said:

"Spending my final months at Bath Spa made me appreciate the local wildlife. The lambs, ducks, and landscape shaped my daily walks to commons and inspired the artwork for this cup."

The winners received a prize of £100 voucher and a free copy of their cup.

The Cups themselves are NOW Cups, made by Circular and Co, a Cornwall-based company. Their NOW cup is made using recycled materials such as paper cups. At the end of their lives, Circular and Co have a “takeback promise” where you can return your cup and they will then be developed into new products

The cups are 12 oz, double lined with a snap-on lid, BPS and Melamine free and Dishwasher safe. The cups cost £10.80. This is not for profit and covers the cost of printing. And when you buy a cup, you get a free hot drink!

Our sustainability vision is to create sustainability-minded, socially-engaged global citizens, by using sustainability principles to guide our values, actions and curricula, and by leading by example.

Through its long-term planning approach and position of influence on future generations, the Higher Education sector is uniquely placed to demonstrate leadership in the field of carbon reduction and sustainability.

You can learn more about ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿'s sustainability commitments on our website.