Disposables....again.....

I used to work at a small bakery in my hometown. In the mornings, of course, there would be a line out the door of people looking to get their coffee fix. A lot of people brought there own mugs (we take 50 cents off), many stayed awhile and would read the newspaper while drinking out of our trademark white mug, and unfortunately the majority would grab a to-go cup and be on there way. Each to-go cup needed to be hand stamped with the logo, and we went through A LOT of cups. Not only cups, but the bakery also acted as a to-go foods stop in the afternoons. They used compostable containers, but don't compost. So, essentially they were paying extra money for compostable packaging that was really just ending up in the landfill.

It's odd to think about, but at Starbucks you might sit and linger at a table, but you do everything with to-go cups. You get a to-go cup, even if you're staying in (the same is even true at Colorado Coffee). Starbucks annually goes through 4 billion cups. They don't compost. The stores lack recycling. However, (I just learned this) you do get 10 cents off every time you bring your own mug. So, regardless of how "recycled" the cups at Starbucks are becoming , I would guess that 99 percent of all cups end up in the landfill.

Even At CC I often wonder about the amount of disposable packaging we go through. Rastall is the best in that regard: everything is reusable, they compost, and you feel like a legit person when you eat there not a "commuter." Benjis is the worst. First off: the recycling/composting system confuses just about everyone. So, you can compost all food/plates/forks (?)/napkins but what about the smaller things? Ketchup containers? Straws? Trash goes in the middle, but who knows what is actually considered trash? Oh! Even worse. Much of the food containers are "recyclable" but how can you recycle something that is filled with leftover food? Major failure. So, either Bon Apetit doesn't actually recycle much of it, or someone literally goes through and sorts. What is the point of Colorado Coffee having compostable to-go cups if nearly all of the people buying drinks throw them away in different buildings?

Major moral dilemma. Bringing my own cup = only solution. And plate, and fork, and knife.... and the list goes on and on.

Stat Cite:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mindylubber/2011/09/19/percolating-a-sustainable-coffee-cup/