In my view, saving the planet is something that we should all agree on and strive for.
With global warming on the rise, people are looking for new ways to improve our environment.
If you are a coffee drinker, you might be wondering about the environmental impact of coffee cups.
Yes, disposable coffee cups are bad for the environment.
By Andrew.
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The Environmental Impact of Disposable Coffee Cups
Think about this: Let’s say you enjoy drinking coffee at work.
You drink three cups of coffee a day, using those readily available, on the go, disposable paper cups.
That’s 1,095 cups per year.
And think about how many people drink coffee at work around the world. The amount of paper coffee cup waste is astronomical.
When it comes to disposable coffee cup waste, the numbers are staggering.
Delving a little deeper, people around the world use a total of about sixteen billion paper coffee cups every year.
This means that the equivalent of about 6.5 million trees is processed into paper and about 4 billion gallons of water are being wasted.
Also going to waste is the energy that can be used to give power to 54,000 residences.
That’s just cra-zy!
Paper coffee cups are made with a coat of plastic called polyethylene around them to keep your coffee warm.
This means that they cannot be recycled?
You must be thinking: wow, I cannot believe how much waste I am producing, there must be some sort of solution?
There is!
Use a reusable coffee mug!
By the way, have you had a look at our deals page yet?
Single-Use Coffee Cups vs. Reusable Coffee Cups
While there are some advantages of using single-use coffee cups, I believe the environmental detriment of your decision to use them, far outweighs them.
Pros of Single-Use Coffee Cups
Some pros of single-use coffee cups include:
- Not having to wash them
- Their convenience
- Pre-portioned sizes
- Not having to remember your thermos
- Not worrying about dropping and breaking your cup.
But the question is: Do you prefer slightly more convenience with your coffee cup choice or a clean environment?
For me, the choice is easy.
Protecting the environment, however small an impact, is better than ruining the planet with single-use disposable paper coffee cups.
Pros of Reusable Coffee Cups
Reusable coffee cups, such as thermoses or mugs, are a great alternative to the wasteful single-use coffee cups.
Some great reasons to switch to reusable coffee cups include:
- Reduces waste in landfills
- Bring your own reusable coffee cup to a coffee shop and use it for your order instead of their paper cups and receive a discount!
- They cost less in the long-run
- Better for your health
- Easy to identify which reusable coffee cup belongs to you
- They last for a longer amount of time
- Keeps your beverage hotter or colder for a greater amount of time
- Use one and become a trend setter
- Looks fashionable, as the number of customizations and designs are endless
- Your coffee will taste better
- Having a lid on your coffee cup reduces spills
As you can see, my pros list for reusable coffee cups is longer than my pros list for single-use disposable coffee cups.
And my number one pro of reusable coffee cups is that it protects the environment. But how?
How Exactly Does Paper Coffee Cup Waste Affect our Environment?
Yes, I already talked about how paper cup waste contributes to overfilling landfills around the world, but what exactly is altered for the worse in our environment as a result of this?
What does the production and waste of paper coffee cups actually do to the environment?
Read on to find out.
The Carbon Footprint of Disposable Paper Coffee Cup Production and Waste
First of all, what is a carbon footprint?
It is how much carbon dioxide and other carbon is released into the atmosphere as a result of the usage of fossil fuels.
The higher the amount of carbon released, the greater the detriment to the environment.
The production and shipping of each cup releases a carbon footprint of about 3.9 ounces (0.11 kilograms) of carbon dioxide.
Considering how many cups are use in the world on a daily basis, the carbon footprint of paper coffee cups cannot be understated.
Tons of greenhouse gases are emitted globally every year as a result of the production, shipping, usage, and wastage of disposable paper coffee cups.
Not only this, but it also results in loss of trees and damages ecosystems and this act of deforestation endangers many species of animals.
What can I do to Make the World a Better Place?
You might be wondering what you can do to protect our environment through your coffee consumption.
My advice is to start simple.
Buy take away coffee less frequently.
If for some reason you cannot use a reusable coffee cup because you forget it or don’t have one and opt for a single-use disposable coffee cup, do not use a paper cup each time you refill.
That can really add up.
Use the same paper cup each time.
Also, it is better to use a metal reusable coffee cup instead of a plastic cup.
In fact, about eighty percent of all metal produced is still used in the present day and metal cups are made of about sixty-eight percent recycled materials, whereas plastic is made of about three percent recycled materials.
What else is the you should be reducing the amount of soap and hot water used to clean your reusable coffee cup. This saves energy and resources.
In addition, try to use just one reusable coffee cup every few years.
And try to limit your coffee consumption. After all, moderation is key if you want to reap the health benefits of coffee.
Follow these tips and you will be doing your part to help protect the environment.
Conclusion
It is time for work.
It is early in the morning and Jane needs some coffee.
She makes a large cup using her Keurig.
Then, she pours the coffee into her favorite Snoopy coffee thermos.
She is happy with her decision because she is helping protect the environment.
She goes on with her day sipping away at her thermos, knowing that paper cups are not being wasted and hurting the planet, which leaves her feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
Be like Jane.
Everyone should be making the decision of using a reusable coffee cup instead of single-use disposable coffee cups without a second thought.
Together we can be a powerful force of nature for protecting the environment.
So, jump in on this trend and you just might make the world a better place!
Photo by The Lazy Artist.
