Does using a reusable cup really make a difference?

How you can make a positive change for the environment.

Let’s talk about a very simple way to make a positive choice for the environment while still enjoying your coffee.

Did you know, that according to the NSW EPA, 1 billion coffee cups end up in landfill each year, with around 300 million of those coming from NSW alone? These are just the numbers for landfill, not for all the other cups that may be recycled or composted.

 I’ll throw out some rough numbers for you:

• 75% of Aussies drink coffee
• The average person has 14 cups of coffee per week
• 25% of coffees sold in cafes are sold to takeaway 

If we assume you’re in the 75% who drink coffee (I think the fact that you’re reading this article means it’s safe to do so), and you have an average amount of cups per week (Not that we always stop at 14 per week), we say you make 2/3 of your coffees at home or in the office and that leaves you buying 4.7 takeaway coffees per week.

These are probably your pre work caffeine hits to get you going each day, so we also assume that you do this for around 48 weeks of the year. That puts us at 225.6 takeaway coffees each year.

Let’s not forget that this is the average person. Some people drink less, sure, but some also drink a lot more. If you’re not above average in the coffee guzzling game, then we’re sure that you know someone who is. That person who has a cup of joe in hand as they walk in the office, who ducks out to their favourite coffee shop at morning tea and again at lunch. That person is probably far exceeding that 225 cup mark each quarter.

All this is to say that unless you’re already crushing the keep cup routine, you’re potentially adding over 200 coffee cups (and probably lids) to the waste pile each year. If you have your dedicated reusable coffee cup and you take it with you to each coffee stop you make then let us applaud you, you legend, because even we forget our cup sometimes. If this is you, feel free to keep reading, but also feel free to go and grab your cup, head on down to your nearest coffee shop, grab yourself a waste free coffee and pat yourself on the back. We love your work! Keep it up!

If you’re war on waste hasn’t quite teamed up with your caffeine addiction just yet then let us tell you what can you do about all of this waste, because you can be sure that we are not advocating that you give up the good stuff and go cold turkey on your coffee to save some cups…

The number one thing you can do to cut down on disposable cups is simple – invest in a reusable coffee cup and get in the habit of bringing it! The two main tips that we found useful for ditching the disposable are:

• Pick a cup you love. Spend a little extra on a good quality cup that you like the look and feel of. If you love your cup then you will want to use it, you will want to show others and you will feel extra good about using it. It will become a nice little luxury item to make your coffee experience that little bit more enjoyable.
• Notice when and why you forget your cup. You may need a cup for home, for the office and for the car if you’re finding it hard to remember to take your one cup everywhere you go.

If you’re after a new coffee cup, then why not check out these super cute bamboo coffee cups by our friends at Van Go. They’re available online and at The Roastery. (Click here) If these don’t totally float your boat or they aren’t the perfect size for you then have a look online or ask our staff for recommendations next time you’re in. There are so many amazing options available these days, in a range of materials, shapes, sizes and designs, made by a variety of companies who all have their own merits.

Now if you do forget your cup, and let’s face it, this will happen, then fear not, we’ve got you covered. The Bearded Brewer Team are committed to making the best choices we can for our business, our customers and for the environment and with this in mind, we have chosen to use BioPak packaging products.

BioPak is a carbon neutral company who are committed to making products as environmentally friendly as possible, without compromising on quality. They focus on every step, from manufacturing to materials. 

Their paper is sourced from managed plantations and the plastics used for lids and cup coatings are bioplastics, made from plants, not oil. Their inks are water based, soy inks. That makes their coffee cups and lids the only products of their kind certified as commercially compostable. 

We also use BioPak cup trays to make life easy when you’re buying for the whole crew. These are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper pulp. They can be added to your paper recycling or they can be home composted.

Reusable is always going to be best as there are still environmental costs involved in the manufacturing and transportation of single use items. As a business, we encourage you to use reusable products and make simple switches, like bringing a reusable coffee cup for your takeaway, but we have also made sure that when you do forget you can rest easy knowing that we are using the best products on the market to help do our best for the environment too.

While saving 200 cups and lids per year may not sound like you’re making the biggest difference, remember that when we all make little choices and changes, they add up. Sustainability isn’t about a handful of people doing ‘zero waste’ and making ‘eco choices’ perfectly, 100% of the time, but rather it’s about millions of people doing it imperfectly, making little changes that all add up when we combine our efforts and make positive choices for the environment.

If you’re in need of a reusable cup don’t forget to check out our bamboo cups here.  You’ll notice their super cute caravan design, just like our Vintage Mobile Coffee Caravan!

Next time you’re enjoying a Bearded Brewer coffee in your reusable coffee cup why not take a quick picture and share it with your friends online? Don’t forget to check in or tag us in your social media posts so we can see them! Connect with us via Facebook and Instagram using the links below.