HOW MUCH COFFEE WE CONSUME PER YEAR AND WHAT WE COULD BUY INSTEAD

A WASTE OF MONEY & a major CONTRIBUTION TO LANDFILLS; THERE’S AN ALTERNATIVE.

PHOTOs via google TEXT LOGAN VERLAQUE

It is a known fact that nearly all of us run on coffee. Whether we grab one on the way to work or as the dreaded 3 pm slump comes around, most of us are guilty of picking up a paper cup filled with a life-changing supply of caffeine. In fact, the US uses around 108 billion cups per year. While we may soothe our guilt over indulging in non-reusable coffee cups in thinking they’re recyclable, they are not.

To make to-go paper cups waterproof, the paper component is fused with polyethylene, a material that cannot be separated out again in a standard recycling mill. While some recycling plants can do this, there are very few (for example, 2 in all of the UK). However, because the cups can technically be recycled, they are allowed to be labeled “recyclable.” The large majority of cups end up in landfills.

Instead, companies need to work on making disposable coffee cups need to be biodegradable and consumers need to remember to bring reusable mugs. Even a reusable mug made from plastic (recyclable) only needs to be used 17 times before the environment is better off. For those with a daily habit, that’s less than 3 weeks.

“If an individual purchases a disposable cup every day, this creates about 23 pounds of waste per year.”

— recycling advocates

We need to focus on sustainable changes in behavior, and sometimes incentives help. If you refrain from your daily to-go coffee habit, you may save enough by the end of the year to buy a product you’ve been dreaming of forever and that you can use for the rest of your life. Try putting away the money you would use on your daily latte into a savings account and see what you have come the end of the year.

Instead of buying a cup of coffee on your way to work, try preparing coffee ahead of time at home. There are several great coffee and espresso makers on the market that can give you that same morning boost. Plus, preparing it at home lets you have more control over how it is prepared, from taste to temperature to type of milk. If you are in a time crunch, pour that freshly made coffee into a sustainably made to-go mug and enjoy on your early commute. Eventually you will wonder why you wasted any time and paper/plastic on coffee-to-go in the first place!

We picked out a couple of dreamy items that may inspire you to save money, reduce your to-go coffee waste, and encourage more sustainable daily habits.