Paper coffee cups have plastic lining, so as well as causing trees to be felled, they can’t be recycled (and can harm wildlife that get their heads stuck inside, attracted by sweet liquids). From 2024, single-use plastic lids will be banned, but we can still empower ourselves before then, and send a strong message to coffee shops to use compostable lids. Cupple is a combined reusable water bottle and insulated coffee cup with a lid that twists together in one. It allows you to have your coffee and stay hydrated at the same time. In beautiful durable designs,
Avoid caffeine for pregnancy/nursing and affected medical conditions. Just bin coffee grounds (caffeine can harm compost bin creatures). We like Sanctuary Coffee (which shares profits with animal sanctuaries).
a coffee cup (made from coffee cups!)
Circular & Co makes coffee cups from single-use leakproof paper coffee cups. Designed to last 10 years, these feature beautiful flecks and a design for 360 degree-drinking (avoiding froth on your nose!) At end of use, just send back to be made into more cups.
Circular Returnable Cup Scheme offers stacking cups with QR codes designed to last 500 commercial washes, so customers can pay a small deposit and get it back, when returning the cup. Bristol charity City to Sea has also recently launched a Refill Return Cup, saying if it was used by just 10% of residents each week, this would stop 46,000 single-use cups being used in the city (2.5 million a year).
built-to-last reusable coffee cups
Neon Kactus makes built-to-last coffee cups from a variety of materials including borosilicate glass , silicone (non-slip with thermal resistance), stainless steel and compostable bio-plastic. Most fit in car cup holders and have silicone lids to keep hands cool. Some have integrated straws.
a reusable glass coffee cup
Wild & Stone Reusable Glass Coffee Cup is dishwasher-safe and easy-t0-clean with a silicone cover (to keep hands cool) and lid. Made from soda-lime glass (tough, but do not handle with wet hands).