photo credit: malan.andre
If you’re a coffee or tea drinker like I am and you care about saving the environment, you probably don’t like the idea of using single-serve containers for your beverages. Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to use your own mug but you should try whenever you get a chance.
Any time you can substitute the polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) cup with a glass, ceramic or stainless steel mug, you help the Earth breath just a little easier. Consider this: in the US alone 25 billion polystyrene cups are thrown away every year, which isn’t good news for the planet since polystyrene is made of non-renewable petroleum and it takes hundred of years to break down in the landfills. Moreover, scientists have found carcinogenic ingredients leeching into the soil and possibly even into your hot beverage.
As for the paper cups, they may be a little easier on the environment but producing paper requires cutting down trees, which contributes to devastating deforestation and the process of producing paper cups, including recycled paper cups, requires a lot of energy, which ultimately isn’t eco-friendly. And plastic is simply not save for so many reasons (to find out more go to “Buying a New Plastic Container, part I & II” as well as “FDA Deems BPA Save” ) but mainly because it leeches BPA (bisphenol A), phthalates and other toxic chemicals into your hot drink.
Fortunately, many coffee shops are getting on board with the new trend and some even offer a small discount if you’re bring your own mug, for instance Starbucks, which offers a 10-cent discount. This encouraged 13.5 million customers to switch to reusable mugs, which kept over 500,000 pounds of paper from ending in landfills in 2003 alone! So next time you go for coffee or tea, bring your own mug!
