About 2.5 Billion coffee cups get tossed in the trash each year. That’s a big impact to our environment as they end up in the ever growing landfills and the amount of fossil fuels burned to generate them is enormous. Paper coffee cups can’t be recycled because of the wax lining. But if you look at the daily habit it’s not just the cup, it’s the drive through and the miles added to your commute. We should stop buying coffee the same old way every day. We need to rethink the habit and make it eco friendly.

Yes, you can do this! First, consider how many coffee cups you throw away in a year? 365? 730? More? They go into the landfill and stay there, decaying into tiny particles that flow into our rivers and oceans. 

If we bring our reusable cups, we’ll save on landfill space, reduce decomposing material gas such as methane, and stop the pure waste of buying something that never goes back into new products.

Here are some options. No one is perfect, but making an effort will impact more than just you on your daily commute. It will change companies’ goals and products.  

Option A: Best option! Make and bring your coffee to work. Choose sustainably-grown bird-friendly coffee.

Option B: Buy the branded reusable cup at whatever coffee shop is part of your daily routine. They range in price and discounts. 

Option C Starbucks will let you bring your cup like the ceramic coffee mug above. Plus, they’ll give you a little discount. Here are the details!  

Go to the No Plastic Life products page for links to organizations that supply replacements for single-use plastic items!

Now, you can start your ceramic cup collection, stainless steel, or whatever you want, and then make it a daily habit!

More product links to replace single-use plastics

Many will point out that big brands are also significant contributors to pollution. But the problem is that most brands’ stance is that it’s up to consumers to dispose of trash they buy as containers and packaging, so it will take changing our buying habits to make the big brands wake up! Companies are starting to recognize that plastic pollution is their fault. For example, McDonald’s is considering removing some plastic items, and Starbucks is advertising holiday reusable cups for sale. But this is a problem that only consumers can solve by expressing their opinion with their purchases.