Keeping that Cup
Winning the War on Waste
Last year a television program aired on the ABC. It was called ‘War on Waste’ and one particular episode put a lot of fear into the general public concerning disposable, take-away coffee cups. And for good reason!
Yes, that liquid gold consumed by millions of Australians each and every day has a dangerous side that is contributing to the demise of our planet. Australians are estimated to throw away one billion non-recyclable coffee cups a year! Basically, the thin layer of plastic coating inside a take-away coffee cup renders it non-biodegradable and clogs up recycling machinery. What I am getting to here is what goes around comes around, and going right back to basics is a societal shift that I’m pretty pleased about.
Old Breakthroughs become New Breakthroughs, just like the coffee keep cup. The only difference between a normal cup and a keep cup is a handy lid to stop spillage… but as an invention, well it’s simply just a good, old, functional mug that you can wash and reuse at your local cafe.
Here are some of my favourites:
In my shopping and Googling, I have also found biodegradable coffee pods for sale (as these contribute hugely to landfill). So if you have a Nespresso machine, check these compatible brands out:
And now there is also the reusable stainless steel straw that is gaining so much traction – as straws also don’t biodegrade.
Stores are going back to paper bags that doesn’t threaten marine life, bars are committing to serving drinks without straws, and coffee shops are providing discounts to supply your own cup.
It’s an interesting turn of events… to see new breakthroughs that come from the most basic ideas reshaped and marketed as ‘cool’ again.
I don’t think the planet is complaining!
For more products that help the planet, check out my previous blog ‘Give A Crap’.