I drink a lot of coffee. In fact, my brother and I sit at a coffee house almost everyday. I work at home and let’s face it, my social life ain’t what she used to be, so going out for coffee is my little break and gives me an excuse to leave the house. Besides, my brother’s a pretty cool guy and we usually have interesting (and hilarious) conversations.
About a year ago, the veil of coffee consumerism lifted when I realized how many paper and plastic coffee cups I was sending to the landfills. I made it my mission to find a reusable cup I could take to the coffee house with me. It wasn’t easy. I’d heard rumors about Starbucks releasing a plastic iced coffee drink that looked like the ones they give you in their stores; you know with the printing, logo and green straw? I searched high and low, calling stores, and keeping my eyes out. No dice. Note: At the time, no one else was making resuable cold coffee cups. Finally, I found several sellers on eBay that were selling them at double the price. Starbucks said they sold them during the Summer, but sold out almost as soon as they put them on the shelves. Desperate to stop sending hundreds of cups to the dump, I bought one of the high priced ones on eBay. About a week later, various Starbucks stores had them in stock. Oh well. I bought another one just as a back up. About a month after that, I was in Bed Bath and Beyond and saw a company called Copco had come out with their own versions of reusable coffee house to-go cups. They have hot cups and cold cups. I bought a hot cup and I love it.
If you buy coffee from a brick and mortar store everyday, that’s 365 cups (that don’t biodegrade) being sent to the dump. That’s just you! Think about all the millions of people all over the world who buy Starbucks everyday on their way to work, at lunch, or even just a couple of times per month. My brain doesn’t like that kind of math, but I can tell you, it’s a lot. A campaign has begun where consumers are asking Starbucks to start using compostable or biodegradable cups. At the moment, their cups are recyclable, but if you walk by any trash can in their stores, you’ll see a lot of people don’t bother to recycle them.
That said, the only solution is to buy a reusable cup. I love mine and getting used to bringing my own cup wasn’t as hard as I thought. Sure, once or twice I had to turn the car around because I forgot it, but these days, I never do. I have one for cold drinks in Summer and another for hot drinks in Winter. The best part is, I’ve relieved a healthy portion of eco-guilt from my shoulders. Feels pretty good.
As for Starbucks in general, used to be I never went there and hated everything they stood for. I had various local favorites which have gone by the wayside and for a brief time, was forced into the corporate embrace of Starbucks. We’ve recently discovered an old favorite in Altadena that we stopped going to because they didn’t accept credit cards or ATM. They do now. Furthermore, their outdoor tables are shaded and despite the traffic on Lake Ave., it’s a rather comfortable little joint that keeps getting better. It’s a total hippie hang out and the crowd is a whole mess of alright. Coffee’s not bad either. I’m really happy not to be a Starbucks patron anymore.
You may not have the same icky feelings about Starbucks that I have, but do your conscience and the Earth a favor, buy a resuable coffee cup and take it with you every time.
Copco To Go Cup
Bonus: They come in different colors. They’re approximately 16 ounces which translates into a “medium” or “grande”.
I was never a huge fan of Ginger-anything until I got older. Not Ginger Snaps, sushi ginger, gingerbread, ginger ale, nothing. Then all of a sudden, it was like this revelation: Ginger rules. I frickin’ love it! I can pretty much eat anything with ginger in it cause it’s so good.