Know thy cup...
Flat white is now a recognised religion in New Zealand.
Coffee is a fascinating ritual, and I love getting amongst it.
I’m a convert for a reusable cup.
I swear coffee tastes better out of glass.
I also reckon they help give me a few points in the coolness department –and as I’m now officially a middle aged Mum, I need all the help I can get.
Oh and of course there’s the whole reducing waste buzz too.
Brace yourself
Mainstream Green is all about focusing on what we can do, not dwelling on the negatives of why things are bad.
But, I’ve realised that there is a bit of confusion out there about coffee cups, and I figured it might be useful to give you a bit of a lowdown.
If you’d rather not know – I totally get it and won’t judge you if you close this email now.
Myth busting
- Most coffee cups are not recyclable in New Zealand – they are often lined with a type of plastic. Boo. It’s worth noting that some lids are recyclable, but they need to be clean, and put separately in the recycling bin.
- There are compostable/plant based cups available – which is a step in the right direction. But unless they are collected and sent to a commercial compost facility they are destined for landfill where they won’t breakdown. Stink one.
- It’s also worth thinking about all of the material, energy, transport and sheer effort that has gone into making a disposable cup, which we then use for a few minutes and discard.
Positive vibes
The good news is, there’s easy things you can do to make a change.
Get yourself a reusable takeaway cup.
Sit down and drink your coffee in the cafe!
Take a crockery cup from home or the office.
Don’t judge others or yourself if you end up using a disposable cup. Do what you can when you can.
Simple changes – big impact
