Monday, May 19, 2008

Coffee Cups Clutter the EARTH

Coffee cups clutter the earthPosted at 12:01 am by Sarah Jackson

What are we going to do about it?Starbucks — which purchased 2.5 billion cups for stores in North America last year — isn’t doing all that much about it, according to this story.

Tully’s, meanwhile, has introduced a compostable cup, but that only works if the cups don’t end up in the landfill, where stuff just doesn’t break down like it does in nature.

I can recommend only one solution. Use your own cup or mug when ordering gourmet coffee. Baristas and clerks are totally used to it everywhere I go.

It’s no big deal.It's worked for me, and, despite being the Eco Geek, I'm not the greenest girl on the block. Thanks to my groovy, thermos-style mug collection, my coffee stays hot much longer (no microwaving required).

I don’t feel guilty about indulging in coffee because I’m not creating nearly the same waste load. And it saves me a few cents. At Starbucks, the discount for bringing your own mug is 10 cents.

That’s cool, but I wonder how much each cup costs the company after shipping? I also wonder if they gave a whole quarter off all those lattes if more people would pitch in?

I bet they would.Would you? What keeps you from using a reusable mug? Write me here to share your thoughts or — better yet — comment below and start a broader conversation everyone can enjoy.

Coffe Cup Waste Calculator click here

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