30 Day Zero Waste Challenge
It’s estimated that 50 billion paper coffee cups are being thrown away in the USA every year.
Did you know?
- EACH disposable coffee cup is responsible for 0.24 lbs of carbon (C02) greenhouse gas emissions
- Paper cups are not recyclable because of the plastic liner and coffee contamination.
- Garbage haulers do not accept plastic lids in curbside recycling bins.
- Cardboard sleeves can be recycled and reused, but often are not.
- Only 1-2% of Starbucks customers bring their own cup, even with a 10 cent discount incentive
- Starbucks estimated the cost of disposable packaging (coffee cup, lid, and insulating sleeve) at 15 cents back in 2000.1
- If an individual purchases a disposable cup every day, this creates about 23 pounds of waste per year.
ALTERNATIVES:
- Drinking your coffee in the shop, in a mug. If you’re in a rush, you can always ask for your coffee at a more drinkable temperature.
- If you want to grab your coffee to-go, think about bringing along a thermos
- Carry a double insulated bottle- grab a hot coffee or an iced coffee while out, rinse the bottle out in a sink, and then fill it with water.
Click the picture to view the Waste Mountain of Coffee Cups
Great Links:
- The waste mountain of coffee cups
- March 23, 2018 – Seattle Weekly: Environmentalists Urge Starbucks to End Plastic Cup Waste. Grassroots environmental organizations plan to hold the coffee giant to its latest pledge.
- The Truth About Recycling Coffee Cups – BBC1
Thank you to these sources for today’s challenge:
- http://www.recyclingadvocates.org/single-use-coffee-cup-reduction/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k0TGIcy2x8
- https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/looking-to-reduce-your-waste-start-with-the-big-four
Quote of the Day: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
