"It's also something that's crept into the culture - even when you don't need a takeaway cup, some people still ask for one.
"We didn't feel comfortable with that so we want to make people think about their habits and whether they really need it.''
The cafe was trying to find different ways for people to have and enjoy their coffee.
"We have different kinds of keep-cups.
"We're going to try a keep-cup swap so visitors can have one they don't need to buy - they can just bring it back.
"We're also buying ceramic and china cups from charity shops - it creates a nice closed loop.
"A lot of them cost 20c, which is about the same as a paper cup.
"People can take them away if they want and bring them back later.''
The cafe was doing a soft trial of the changes during Orientation Week with the hope the idea would gain enough momentum to lead to a total ban of paper takeaway cups.
"It's a hard thing to change people's habits, so it takes a little while.
"Being at a polytechnic that puts so much focus on sustainability helps. All the staff buy into it and are really supportive.''