Why bother?
As my friends know I can usually be found rummaging in my bag for a reusable coffee cup. It is interesting to see the coffee shops that cope fine, and worryingly the ones that seem to have never seen one. But why bother? In the UK alone we get through an estimated 2.5 BILLION single use cups in a year. Very few places can recycle them as they are a mix of plastic and cardboard. As with any reusable item it’s carbon saving, and point of existence, is only realised when it is used frequently. Having many reusable cups, regularly losing one, or not remembering it, can be less environmentally friendly than a single use cup.
How to remember your cup
I remember my cup by putting it with my bag for the morning trip to work and taking it with me on weekend outings. Drastically denying myself a hot drink if I don’t have my coffee cup. This method soon helps me to remember, and therefore I just got into the habit. Some independent coffee places even give a discount for using a reusable cup. If you regularly use the same cafe, having a reusable cup helps them remember you, and your order. A new scheme has started in America that I hope will come here called Cup Club, it’s a customer loyalty programme just for people with reusable cups. Every 10th customer gets a free drink, it’s random, doesn’t give you more stuff to carry in your wallet and encourages people to carry their cup. Amazing!
The Keep Cups of Little Green Duckie & Mr LGD
So what are your coffee cup options?
Glass – Cuppow or the JoCo Cup (not one for the breakers).
Plastic – Keep Cups are BPA free and trying to become biodegradable (they also do a glass version now) or the Pokito collapsable cup.
Bamboo – Ecoffee sold by As Nature Intended a great shop if you have one near you.
Metal – Frank Green insulating and leak proof these are amazing cups.
It is likely that your local independent coffee, or alternative living shop, already sells these. Supporting your local shop means you don’t get a product wrapped in plastic and cardboard and you may get money off your coffee. As a bonus they may have the cup branded with the coffee shop name, promoting your favourite place to friends and colleagues.
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