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What
Around 5 billion disposable coffee cups are used in the UK every year, yet less than 1% are recycled.
Carrying your own reusable cup when you’re out and about will help cut down on unnecessary waste while saving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions. It might even get you some money off your morning joe, too.
Benefits
For People
More and more high street and independent coffee shops now offer a discount if you bring your own reusable cup for your tea or coffee. At some chains, for example, you’ll save 25p. If you get a coffee every morning on your way to work, that’s a saving of £65!
When exposed to water, paper cups release micro-particles and toxins which have been linked to disseases such as kidney stones and cancer.
For Planet
Most recycling plants can’t process or recycle plastic cups, as the layers of paper and plastic used in them are difficult to separate. Even your recycled paper cups are likely ending up in landfill.
We cut down 20 million trees to make disposable paper cups every year, using an astonishing 12 billion gallons of water
10.4 grams of CO2 emissions are released per disposable cup. Imagine how much that adds up to.
How
This one is plain and simple: either take ten minutes to enjoy your coffee in-situ, or take a reusable cup with you when you want a hot drink on-the-go.
Here are a few of our favourites:
Frank Green: easily cleanable and totally spill-proof. Fill it up, pop it in your bag, and run for the train - revolutionary.
The JOCO Cup: these glass cups are BPA and chemical-free and come in standard takeaway cup sizes, meaning they’re perfect to use in your local coffee shop.
The KeepCup: sustainably produced and colourful, you can pick from a range of sizes and materials or design your own.
Circular & Co Cup: this is the world's first cup to be made from used cups and designed for 10 years of use.
A word to the wise: choose your cup carefully and then use it as many times as you possibly can. Reusable cups (plastic, metal and other) all have their own carbon footprint, and unless you use again and again and again, there’s a chance you’ll be causing more harm than good.
