Easy Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Footprint #2: Reusable Coffee Cups
In the UK over 2.5 billion paper cups are thrown away every year. That equates to a staggering 5,000 a minute! Due to the paper-like appearance of coffee cups, many consumers believe that these can be recycled but unfortunately this is not the case. Disposable coffee cups have a plastic lining, which paper mills cannot remove without specialist equipment, which means that they need to be incinerated or buried in landfill. Overall, less than 1% of all disposable coffee cups are currently recycled.
There has recently been a lot of press about the Government introducing a so-called ‘latte levy’, similar to the plastic bag levy that was introduced in supermarkets in 2015. This levy would require shops and businesses to charge an additional 25p for each disposable cup sold.
Reports have also suggested that biodegradable cups may not be such a great choice either. It’s thought that although biodegradable cups are certainly a more sustainable alternative to a standard plastic-lined coffee cup, the UK does not currently have the infrastructure required to correctly dispose of them. While biodegradable cups will break down faster than standard disposable coffee cups, without specialist recycling facilities, this process will still take a very long time.
The Cut the Cup campaign launched by The Independent aims to promote the use of reusable cups. Executive director at the British Coffee Association, Chris Stemman, told The Independent, “Reusable cups have a serious place and we would encourage their further use.”
Some coffee shops already offer a discount to customers using a reusable cup, for example, Pret A Manger and Starbucks, which have recently doubled their discount from 25p to 50p.
So between the 25p charge and the up-to-50p discount on your next hot drink, buying a reusable coffee cup that you can use for years certainly seems like a worthwhile investment. High street retailers have reported a growth of up to 537% on reusable cups so it’s safe to say that the trend is growing significantly.
Our range of vacuum insulated Klean Kanteen coffee mugs are the perfect solution. Specially designed to keep your drink hot for up to 14 hours (or iced for 40!) - the 592ml, it’s slim design fits in most cup holders, won’t leak or spill and is made of safe, durable, high quality materials that are free from BPA. They also come with a lifetime guarantee and are part of 1% For The Planet, an organisation whose members give 1% of sales to environmental non-profits.
If stainless steel isn't your thing, we also offer a stunning array of Ecoffee's reusable bamboo cups, which are a bit lighter to carry. Once you are done with it, send it back to nature by crushing it and burying it along with your organic compost.
