Paper cups are all over the place these days. I mean in the media, not just strewn about streets and seas.....
Toronto Star columnist David Rider contemplates cups in Have mug, will travel, for his weekly "enlightened shopper" column. He contacted me to ask my personal cup preference - ceramic vs. steel vs. plastic (see article for my answer: hint reuse!), and gave BYO a nice mention.
Then noticed this plug for reusables in Real World Green, "Paper cups, do you use them?" Clear message here to bring your own!
Seems a small issue in the grand scheme of things, but such an easy one to shift. And as the Real World clip mentioned, paper cups are NOT in fact recyclable, which most people incorrectly assume.
Personally, I'd avoid the plastic mug with hot coffee, as certain plastics can leach out nasty chemicals, especially when heated.
Granted, there are numerous kinds of plastic, 7 actually, not sure what type is used for these coffee cups. This article gives a plastics-health overview, as well as a breakdown of the #s.
I'd stay on the safe side and stick to ceramic or stainless steel.
And LOVE your cup!
4 comments:
hi anna,
thanks for the link to Real World Green you can embed the video clips right in to your blog if you want, just hit the Share button and it will provide the embed code.
thx, eri c
OK, so maybe you can recommend something. Is there something out there in the way of reusable cups that is more portable than your usual commuter mug? I hate carrying that huge thing around, and I don't need a hermetically sealed mug because I typically drink my coffee at the coffeeshop rather than carrying it with me. Is there a small coffee cup out there that can fold to a pocket-sized object? And has anyone other than me felt a need for such a thing? (I'm a mechanical engineer, and could probably design and make such a thing if it does not already exist...)
Hey Anonymous,
YES! This is something I've given much thought to.....please shoot me an email - hope you get this - would love to explore this more with you: anna@bringyourown.org
After reading No Impact Man for awhile I have gone his route and started using a plain old mason jar with a lid. It is working out great.
Post a Comment