Photo credit:
simon.kagstrom, flickr
If you're a regular Super Eco reader, you know by now that many of the writers are devoted coffee drinkers. I'm even petitioning our editors to create a coffee category (put it under Personal, get rid of Fitness. Exercise, bah!) I don't know about everyone else, but I've had to considerably alter my coffee-drinking habits to be more eco-friendly, making coffee more often at home and bringing my own commuter cup when I do visit Starbucks.
It turns out that our paper cup habit is much worse than I even thought. North Americans throw out 130 billion paper cups a year. That's enough to fill up all the Hummers in Arnold Schwarzenegger's garage 250 times over (fake statistic alert). PicNix has a kinda sorta invention to cut down on some of the waste associated with paper coffee cups. They've made reusable and environmentally-friendly sipping sleeves to avoid wasting a paper one every day. The Way I See It, unfortunately, will still be covered up. As Treehugger points out, however, these devices still encourage the use of disposable paper cups which cannot be recycled. I suppose the reusable sleeves would be a good gift for a coffee addict whom you know will never bring their own thermos, but for the rest of us, better to not use the paper cups at all.
Coffee is such a prominent commodity in America and across the world, that I think it's time the coffee distributors took a more proactive role in changing our attitudes. Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Tully's and Peet's (that's right, Peet, don't think you can hide back there) could sell thermoses and commuter cups for half off for an entire year, and charge an extra dollar to consumers who don't bring their own cup. Now, to be fair, Americans hate being told how to live, but if all the major coffee purveyors were together on this, we could change the way coffee is sold and in record time. Who else has an idea? Please leave them in the comments.
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There are literally hundreds of coffee shops in Christchurch and none of them serve drip coffee or have a drive-thru. This means people here are making time and taking their time to sit down and enjoy an excellent espresso or cappuccino. Even in the most touristy areas, a cappuccino only costs $2USD. I rarely see people walking or driving around with paper coffee cups; everyone is always sitting at a cafe relaxing while they sip their coffee. Maybe instead of finding alternatives to paper cups, Americans should put the brakes on their busy lives and find a good local cafe to frequent instead of driving through Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. If you're still too busy, use a travel mug and don't use the drive-thru.
Nice article Jonathan! I always wondered why everyone at my old office used several paper coffee cups throughout the day--in the office!
I second the coffee shop espresso thing...I just returned from New Zealand where coffee is as big a part of the culture as it is in the pacific northwest, only without the drivethru disposable espresso kiosks. One of my hugest pleasures in NZ was sitting down and really enjoying a mochaccino in a cafe and watching the people going by on the street, or reading indoors in a cafe, or... Only one barista ever asked me if it was to go (it wasn't) and I never saw anyone walking/driving around with coffee in hand.
like the slow food movement, we should vow to start the slow coffee movement! that may sound a bit like an oxymoron? but i do like the idea. another slogan could be - slow down and smell the coffee? i think this has potential.
Have you thought yet that customers forced to pay extra for the use of a paper cup will just go to Dunkin' Donuts and have, horrors, a donut with their coffee?
My God man, you are promoting obesity!
And how sanitary is that commuter cup that's being banging around on your floorboard? You are a public health menace to boot!
The only recycling idea I've seen work reliably is the recycling of Utopian ideals into failed ideas. 76 years after the failure of prohibition and Jonathan here wants to see if he can make social tinkering work this time. You and the late Jerry Falwell have more in common than either of you will admit.
Except, of course, that he is at room temperature and you are not.
I know it is better to bring my own cup or reuse, but when I forget I use the compostable cups to start plants and plant them right in my garden.