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People always seem to forget Reduce Reuse Recycle. Recycle is the last option for a reason, because it's the last and worst case scenario. We need to use less

People always seem to forget Reduce Reuse Recycle. Recycle is the last option for a reason, because it's the last and worst case scenario. We need to use less coffee cups and if possible reuse them. That's the solution.

medell 3y ago
This. Only 5% of post-consumer plastic waste in the US was recycled in 2021.
smegsicle 3y ago
[flagged]
- maxmouchet 3y ago
  The same way glasses in restaurants are washed and reused :-) Another solution is to bring your own cup.
- loeg 3y ago
  I reuse the same coffee cup every day. Dishwashers are great.
  - dylan604 3y ago
    My dad always told me that dishwashers are the things at the end of your arms. I'm guessing that's not what you mean though. However, do you run your dishwasher daily? If you're a single person living alone, that's a lot of dishes!
    - loeg 3y ago
      My two year-old and wife go through plenty of dishes, too.
      - dylan604 3y ago
        "My two year-old and wife" != "a single person living alone" in any language I'm familiar with
somishere 3y ago
A lot of Australian coffee shops give a discount for bringing your own (takeaway) cup. Personally I think they should just charge/tax for single use cups, to the benefit of those sitting in or bringing their own. Single use plastics, but not bioplastics, are on the way out across Australia, and some more conspicuous forms like bags have recently been phased out. With bags the first step was to start charging for them at the till, which led to many choosing to byo. This was followed by a blanket ban (in my state anyway) in September this year which had suprisingly little fallout. I also kind of like the idea / various iterations of the Freiberg cup [1], but the fact that they are so easily replaceable makes me wonder how many just end up discarded (esp by those who don't like carrying around a used cup). But I'm sure these questions have answers / solutions.
- grecy 3y ago
  > Personally I think they should just charge/tax for single use cups This sends the message that people with money can do whatever they want, environment be dammed. We need to simply ban things that are terrible for future generations, not continue to allow people with money to do it.
  - cortesoft 3y ago
    It depends on what you use the money for. If you use it to counteract the externalities the transaction creates, the it should work out in the end. Yes, rich people can do what they want, but at least it doesn't hurt the rest of the people.
    - grecy 3y ago
      > counteract the externalities the transaction creates Doing so uses up more time and resources that could have been put to better use had the transaction never occurred in the first place.
      - nerdponx 3y ago
        This is one of the big problems with relying on the price system exclusively as a mechanism of allocation and regulation. It doesn't work well for regulating externalities when people's budget sets vary across orders of magnitude.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
lispisok 3y ago
I think people like recycling so much because they can live their high consumption lifestyle then throw the guilt from their high consumption lifestyle in the recycling bin.
- actionfromafar 3y ago
  Research shows, with Human Logic: one small good deed offsets several large bad deeds.
- lozenge 3y ago
  This is the documented reason that the plastic manufacturers promoted recycling. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-...
9dev 3y ago
But then, how many people buy reusable, hard-plastic coffee cups with a lid — only to discover it’s actually a hassle to carry a used cup with residue coffee in it around, proceed to use them once or twice, then put them into a drawer and forget about them altogether (I’m the first to admit that’s been me, twice already). These cups are so much worse in terms of manufacturing emissions. I’ve read a comparison of single-use vs. Reusable shopping bags once, which estimated you’d need to use your tote for at least 5 times a week, ten years or more, to offset the emissions caused to manufacture it. I’m afraid the actual solution is the most inconvenient one: Don’t drink coffee on the go. We won’t get anywhere by pretending we can continue living like we do right now. Edit: found the source on the carbon footprint comparison: https://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2018/02/978-87-93614-73-4.pdf https://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2018/02/978-87-93614-...
- everdrive 3y ago
  >only to discover it’s actually a hassle to carry a used cup with residue coffee in it around Time and time again, individuals have failed to rise to the challenge of tackling a minor inconvenience.
  - 2muchcoffeeman 3y ago
    It makes you wonder what they do with plates and cutlery.
    - 9dev 3y ago
      You usually do not carry those along in your backpack with your laptop, do you?
      - 2muchcoffeeman 3y ago
        I fail to see why carrying something next to your laptop means you don’t clean it.
      - theshrike79 3y ago

medell 3y ago

This. Only 5% of post-consumer plastic waste in the US was recycled in 2021.

smegsicle 3y ago

[flagged]

maxmouchet 3y ago
The same way glasses in restaurants are washed and reused :-) Another solution is to bring your own cup.
loeg 3y ago
I reuse the same coffee cup every day. Dishwashers are great.
- dylan604 3y ago
  My dad always told me that dishwashers are the things at the end of your arms. I'm guessing that's not what you mean though. However, do you run your dishwasher daily? If you're a single person living alone, that's a lot of dishes!
  - loeg 3y ago
    My two year-old and wife go through plenty of dishes, too.
    - dylan604 3y ago
      "My two year-old and wife" != "a single person living alone" in any language I'm familiar with

somishere 3y ago

A lot of Australian coffee shops give a discount for bringing your own (takeaway) cup. Personally I think they should just charge/tax for single use cups, to the benefit of those sitting in or bringing their own. Single use plastics, but not bioplastics, are on the way out across Australia, and some more conspicuous forms like bags have recently been phased out. With bags the first step was to start charging for them at the till, which led to many choosing to byo. This was followed by a blanket ban (in my state anyway) in September this year which had suprisingly little fallout. I also kind of like the idea / various iterations of the Freiberg cup [1], but the fact that they are so easily replaceable makes me wonder how many just end up discarded (esp by those who don't like carrying around a used cup). But I'm sure these questions have answers / solutions.

grecy 3y ago
> Personally I think they should just charge/tax for single use cups This sends the message that people with money can do whatever they want, environment be dammed. We need to simply ban things that are terrible for future generations, not continue to allow people with money to do it.
- cortesoft 3y ago
  It depends on what you use the money for. If you use it to counteract the externalities the transaction creates, the it should work out in the end. Yes, rich people can do what they want, but at least it doesn't hurt the rest of the people.
  - grecy 3y ago
    > counteract the externalities the transaction creates Doing so uses up more time and resources that could have been put to better use had the transaction never occurred in the first place.
    - nerdponx 3y ago
      This is one of the big problems with relying on the price system exclusively as a mechanism of allocation and regulation. It doesn't work well for regulating externalities when people's budget sets vary across orders of magnitude.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

lispisok 3y ago

I think people like recycling so much because they can live their high consumption lifestyle then throw the guilt from their high consumption lifestyle in the recycling bin.

actionfromafar 3y ago
Research shows, with Human Logic: one small good deed offsets several large bad deeds.
lozenge 3y ago
This is the documented reason that the plastic manufacturers promoted recycling. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-...

9dev 3y ago

But then, how many people buy reusable, hard-plastic coffee cups with a lid — only to discover it’s actually a hassle to carry a used cup with residue coffee in it around, proceed to use them once or twice, then put them into a drawer and forget about them altogether (I’m the first to admit that’s been me, twice already). These cups are so much worse in terms of manufacturing emissions. I’ve read a comparison of single-use vs. Reusable shopping bags once, which estimated you’d need to use your tote for at least 5 times a week, ten years or more, to offset the emissions caused to manufacture it. I’m afraid the actual solution is the most inconvenient one: Don’t drink coffee on the go. We won’t get anywhere by pretending we can continue living like we do right now. Edit: found the source on the carbon footprint comparison: https://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2018/02/978-87-93614-73-4.pdf https://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2018/02/978-87-93614-...

everdrive 3y ago
>only to discover it’s actually a hassle to carry a used cup with residue coffee in it around Time and time again, individuals have failed to rise to the challenge of tackling a minor inconvenience.
- 2muchcoffeeman 3y ago
  It makes you wonder what they do with plates and cutlery.
  - 9dev 3y ago
    You usually do not carry those along in your backpack with your laptop, do you?
    - 2muchcoffeeman 3y ago
      I fail to see why carrying something next to your laptop means you don’t clean it.
    - theshrike79 3y ago