Is This The Answer To Disposable Coffee Cups? | Kate Arnell
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
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When I first heard about Cup Club, I knew I had to meet the woman behind it! It's so much more than just a reusable coffee cup. I caught up with Safia, who came up with the idea, to find out about her solution to our disposable coffee cup problem.
Enjoy!
cupclub.com
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I don't get it. What monetary incentive do consumers get for using the cup and following the system? Are they charged if they do not return it? Do they get a discount on their drink if they use/return it? As it stands, it sounds like consumers could easily toss the cup when they are done if more convenient for them, with little or no repercussion.
Love the initiative! Really hope this works out. I'm a bit worried about people not returning the cups though, hopefully people will be considerate enough to support it (maybe money back would seduce them to do so?) - just like an oyster card. Anyway, great step!
I love the idea; it's a great iniative but too bad it is made out of plastic in my opinion. Yes, it's 70% recycled plastic but I don't think recycling plastic is the answer. We need to eradicate plastic as much as possible and go back to materials we used to use OR use more innovative, natural, eco-friendly materials, such as those made from bamboo, corn or rice husk (just as examples). I would like to see plastic eradicated as much as possible as it has health repercussions as well as environmental ones, so I certainly wouldn't want to drink a boiling hot beverage out of one! Hopefully they reconsider the material used sometime in the future.
First... that's NEVER gonna happen. This is a ludicrous idea that doesn't help improve our environment. It's like saying "The solution to climate change is for everyone to go back to the medial age." It's more useful to focus on actual feasible solutions.
Second... The main problem with plastic, is when you throw it in the trash. Until then... there's no problem any other material wouldn't also have. The idea is to reuse the cups several times so to decrease it's impact... and probably recicle the cup at the end of it's life cycle.
1. Why can't it happen? Kate herself uses a glass 'keepcup' for her coffee when out and about. But there would probably be some people who wouldn't like the idea of glass, which is why I also suggested other, more innovative alternatives - ones which already exist. This hardly seems like a return to the dark ages does it? (Also, remember, we all managed quite well up until fairly recently with glass, metals and paper and card until plastic began to become more and more prevalent in food packaging). Now, with glass I have not researched into the environmental impact. I have heard before that it is still quite an intensive process to manufacture glass but then I have also frequently heard that it is an intensive process to recycle plastic. And were there repercussions/incentives in place for returning and reusing a glass cup (just as there should be for this plastic cup, as others are noting) i see no reason why this couldn't work. As for the alternatives, the advantage to the environment is that they biodegrade. My toddler had a potty made from rice husk when younger, as well as plates and bowls made from bamboo fibre/rice husk. These were able to be buried in the garden to decompose. Some companies, such as Deliciously Ella and The Happy Pear have, in a bid to be more environmentally friendly and alleviate customer's concerns, now use compostable packaging made from plant matter for their take away food. If these options are already in place and proving successful, please tell me how they are not feasible??
2. Yes, the main EVIRONMENTAL problem with plastic is when we throw it away, BECAUSE it will then spend hundreds of years on landfill, unable to break down. OTHER concerns are the toxic fumes released when manufacturing plastic. Didn't Safia say this cup is made from polypropylene? The same polypropylene which I have seen touted as a higher quality plastic before, yet which releases benzene, a carcinogen, when being laser cut. Arguably an issue for the health of workers in poorly ventilated environments even more so that the environment. BUT there are different types of plastics and they all seem to come with their own problems e.g PVC releases dioxins and formaldehyde, both carcinogens, when burnt as well as hydrochloric acid. In addition, plastic is derived from crude oil, which is a non-renewable source.
Again, there are other materials which do the opposite of this and break down rapidly. I direct you to my point about health of the person drinking. I may be wrong but I don't recall hearing anything about this cup being BPA-free (someone correct me if i am wrong). Plastics contain certain chemicals, such as bpa and phthalates which may act as endocrine disruptors and increase the risk of certain cancers, such as breast cancer. There is concern that chemicals can leach from plastic bottles into water, which we then consume. If these bottles are exposed to even mild heat or direct sunlight, this increases the leaching effect. There is research on the effects that microwaving has on plastic containers and the leaching of chemicals into food. As for bpa (found in the urine of 90% of americans) which has been banned from babies' bottles (in europe since 2012 i believe but just going off of memory here and mine can be poor!), the label of bpa-free which you see on many things now, ranging from tupperware to food tin linings, is really just a marketing ploy as companies will often simply use bps or bpf instead and so the issue of bpa is kind of irrelevant. Even if plastic were GOOD for the environment, i would not use it due to health concerns. I am very environmentally conscious and care deeply but mine and my son's health would still come ahead of it. It just so happens that plastic is good for neither.
Bottom line, i don't think plastic - (mostly) recycled or not - is the solution here. An alternative may be more expensive to use (not sure, no doubt recycling plastic comes at a significant price) but it is surely worth it. If we are going to ty and improve things, and do more for the benefit of the environment, why take half measures? Surely we should go the whole hog and try to use plastic as little as we possibly can?! (I would like to say not at all but I have heard people argue that there are some things we rely on today that really require the use of plastic. Again, have not thought about this too much yet as I already spend a lot of time thinking about so many other important things haha but reckon there must be ways. Like using silicon instead of plastic in more and more hospital/medical equipment? Just ponderings of mine).
This idea is great BUT I am not sure, if I want my hot drink to touch polypropylene (however plastic lining in one use cups might be not less bad, I do not know).
This is incredible!
I work in an art center in London and before that I worked at a cinema, I feel so bad every time I send customers to get a plastic cup for their beer/wine cause there's no glass allowed inside the venues. I really hope they would try and target that market as well as the coffee one.
I LOVE this idea! At uni my friends get drinks from the on-campus Starbucks almost every day and I just feel so sad about the amount of waste they make with that
Martha P You should get them reusable coffee cups for Christmas or something. :)
Wish this was in the US!
Hopefully, the Cup Club system works out for businesses. 😀
Nice idea but they're made from plastic, coffee tastes horrid from plastic, have a look at collaridesign.com
There is a smaller and less techy version of this in Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen. They have vending machines where you can return the cups and you get part of your purchase price returned.
This needs to come to the US.. 👍🏼
This is amazing! Kind of like the old cloth diaper services. This (in my opinion) is the best way to go and something I would want to invest in. As a mom of small children carrying a diaper bag is heavy enough without adding in all my reusable items. I often forget things like my mason jars or straws, etc... all the time. I'd love to see companies like this for things like reusable straws or utensils (for fast food places maybe?) coming around. Instead of just banning those things, lets think of a better solution. Love love love it!!!!
Man, what an amazing idea! If only I lived in London. Maybe one day it'll be a worldwide solution!
This isn't a new concept. This system has been in existence for decades. In India, for example, stores, restaurants, and vendors will sell glass soda bottles, customers will drink a bottle on the spot or bring it back later, and a collection truck will come by at the end of the day to pick up the bottles to clean and refill them, creating a circular economy. There are bottles still in circulation from when companies like Coca Cola and PepsiCo first entered the Indian market in the 80s. It's incredibly saddening to see that the "underdeveloped" world often engineers these concepts and puts them to use only to have their resources drained for the very products that the western world likes to call "green" or "eco-friendly." Like not to mention that the developed world will basically rip off ideas created in these "third world" countries and everyone wants to believe that they're new, innovative, and genius.
In Germany, the first box-deposit regulations (so circular economy system for bisquit boxes) were established in 1928. Other circular deposit regulations have been arround for years in Germany and when the rate of these systems fell, a law for "one-way-bottle-deposit-regulations" was inured. This means that at least every bottle or can that you buy in Germany (apart from such that are implemented with vinegary, sour or oily substances) are recycled directly or used again and you get a part of your money back when you bring them back to the store. We don't have the big problems that for example Italy has with plastic bottles and metal drinking cans in nature.
Chandni Ganesh Bringing back “empties” has been going since the 1800’s .
NobodyOfTheTardis, that's cool
Like supermarket scanning guns for customers, this will only be possible in certain areas where people can be trusted to return the cups
Such a cool idea. Yes we sometimes do forget the disposable cups, and everyone doesn't want to go 'for here'. I hope this idea makes it Toronto. Sick of the disposable cups.
Interesting but has one problem that so many refillable cups have: you can’t close them! So when I put them in my bag after use there will be sticky coffee residue spilled everywhere. You don’t always have the opportunity to clean them while on the go and surely don’t want to carry an empty cup around in your hand for ages. I hope this will be regarded as constructive criticism.
lenathestrange put it in a sandwhich bag that you can reuse. Simple. Getting people to return and mot steal them is a problem
NobodyOfTheTardis those little slightly hidden electronic tags can be "seen" from a distance away. They could technically drive down streets and track offenders down. Do you really want a cup that's pinging you with a signal? Just use a nice insulated cup, and have places fill that. I want less electronics active around me, not more.
Sooooo cool!! Bring this to Toronto !!
Amazing idea!!
Love this idea, could make such a difference if brands and shops take it on board ♻️🤞
This actually sounds like a really great solution! It's far better than using recyclable or compostable cups, since no extra waste is being created!
Mam paper cup electric bill monthly how many
......??
You are s cutie. Plastic cups replacing styrofoam cups, what a concept!
a brilliant idea! i cannot wait for this to come into fruition! there is so many possibilities for this idea and hopefully it will inject some empathy into cities! think think think please! 💖
I love that people are working toward solutions though!
This is neat but if I didn't remember my reusable cup, I could easily forget to bring this back as well. I choose to get a "for here" cup or I skip the drink and get it next time when I remember my cup.
Alexandria Virginia I think there should be a system that’s kinda like a cup library, where people are fined for not retiring the cup with 24 hours of checking it out
Go Safia! I see you came to visit our space at R/GA :)
Wow! This is brilliant!
What is a good replacement for duct tape? I repaired so many things with it. Any ideas?
Domestic_Goddess Artist Paper tape is a good alternative to regular plastic tape!
Sure, but you expect people to be toughtful enough to keep the cup and bring it back, not to steal it and not to break and not to just leave it around out of convenience. Every shop will still need to hae disposable cups for clients who for sure won't be coming back
SeiraVonKarma i sure that they will not completely eradicate disposable cups because there will be one person who is absolutely shocked having to pay 20p for a cup club membership but this is a big step forward!
Jack Major some people won't be willing to pay imho... Some people are not educated at all. They should put higher fees on disposable cups
this is brilliant!!
Love this idea 😊
No Punti is
help what can you use instead of duct tape
Bridget Todd there's paper tape!