Disposable Coffee Cups

In the US it now seems normal to carry coffee cups into church services. People cannot go to a one hour service without coffee? I find this unbelievable.

gillybob, of course I don't wish to see anyone lose their job. However, we do need to move with the times, and I wonder if that means that we must think ahead now and become a less "disposable" society for the sake of generations to come.

I'm delighted to read in the news this morning that the government is planning a possible ban on the use of plastic straws and cotton buds. A large step in the right direction!

Coffee time in Italy is a different experience as is drinking an aperitif ( comes with bowls of crisps/ mini pizzas/ bruschetta). I don’t mind the takeaway coffee habit here but I am hoping reusable cups becomes more mainstream.

Humptydumpty not all new fashions are good why can’t anyone walk for an hour without a coffee I have never been in a Starbucks or costa ridiculous prices I have coffee in a cafe not on the hoof
I m well trained now and never go out with out a foldable clothe bag in the bottom of my handbag
They talked to a worker who counts the plastic in the sea (I can’t remember what organisation it was) on tv this morning they said the plastic count had gone down considerably after the 5p bag levy kicked in

People in Italy would think you were very odd if you were roaming the streets with a big paper cup of what is basically hot milk. You are expected to go into a bar, order an espresso, two swallows and you're back on the street. The only thing you partake of while walking along is an icecream!

A few yrs ago in Palma with a friend, I was surprised and pleased to see not one Starbucks, etc. Instead there were plenty of nice cafes where you could sit and have a waiter bring you a very nice coffee, instead of having to queue up and wait 20 minutes while the baristas faff around.
OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but I have had to wait a long time more than once, which is why I rarely visit those places any more.

They closed down because people were not using them, there is one in a major shopping street near us and they have just re-vamped it cutting the capacity by half. The Quick directly across the road from it has recently expanded so obviously creating more jobs in the process.

Yes I am Gillybob, Belguim has it's own fast food chains, Hector Chicken instead of KFC and Quick instead of Macdonalds.
I do not know anyone who works in them but they are keeping the income in this country not the USA.

I think some GNers have to move with the times! Life doesn't stay still, takeaway coffee is very common now.

I'll just ring my DD and tell her that some GN members are so distressed about take away coffee that maybe she should be looking for another job after her maternity leave.

You appear happy that the McDonalds have closed down felice I guess none of your family worked there then.

leisurely, fgs! I need an edit button!

I haven't really noticed this much up here, but no doubt I will now. I remember we both remarked on it when we were in Melbourne. We were sitting down enjoying our lesurely breakfast and it was a case of "spot the person not carrying a coffee". They were also all walking incredibly fast. Oh, what a joy it is to be retired!

It is not really part of the culture here, if you want a coffee you go to a nice cafe sit down and have one.
In fact Starbucks etc have not been given licences here, only at the Eurostar terminal and the Airport.
Long may it stay that way.
Actually 5 Macdonalds have closed in recent years.

Costa snd others give you a discount for using your own cup, but it would be more effective if they charged 50p extra for not using your own cup.

goldengirl actually it is! Pret gives you a discount of 50p for using your own cup.

I remember the days of cups and saucers! But of course you can't easily carry those around with you. Therefore if you're in dire need of a coffee you should take your own receptacle. Is coffee therefore going to become cheaper in such circumstances???? I think not.

Waitrose and others do sell a collapsible cup I think it’s quite expensive but once you’ve got it you keep it. I’ve got one of those thermal mugs with a lid I can fit easily into my bag when I know I’m going to be buying coffee.

I am equally perplexed by the constant coffee drinking obsession. I can actually go into town to do my weekly shop and get there and back without having to stop for a drink or telephone or text anyone.

The only thing that perplexes me about the actions by Waitrose and one or two others who say you need to bring your own mug is do they really expect us to walk around with a pottery mug in our handbags Why cannot someone produce a collapsible reuseable mug? DD has a collapsible water container, which is very effective and does not leak.

I see in the press this morning that Coista have tackled the issue from the other side. They say their cups CAN be recycled but collection is the issue so they have upped the payment made to the collectors by 150% to encourage them to collect so they can be recycled.

If it works , seems like a good solution . I for one rarely would think about having a coffee cup with me at all times.

Oh the 5p carrier bag! My nemesis. I have the best of intentions, but how I struggle to remember to bring one with me.
I think it’s a fantastic idea, and I would be curious to know just how big of an impact it has had. I seem to see more people than not ‘reusing’ bags now. Is this the answer for coffee cups? Rather than a discount for bringing your own, a charge for a reusable one?

I see that Waitrose are going to discontinue giving out cups for their free coffee too. The coffee will still be free but you will have to supply your own cup. Bit like we use our own carrier bags now.

Well I carry a coffee cup now and use it when our Knit and Knatter group meets at the library. We can buy coffee/tea but it comes in paper cups. At home we also use bar soap rather than shower gel although I keep a bottle of gel for guests. I also use bar soap in the kitchen but hand wash in the bathroom. When my current pack of dishwasher capsules is finished I will go back to separate detergent, salt and rinse aid.
The longest journey starts with a single step.

We existed perfectly well without cars, supermarkets and colour tv too. But I wouldn’t want to give those up

This isn’t completely new though. I can’t be the only person who remembers, many moons ago, drinking cups of tea, from horrendous polystyrene cups at the seaside while my ds played on the sand?

My opinion of coffee cups in hospitals completely changed when I was frequently visiting my dad at the end of his life. That latte provided more comfort than I could ever describe.

I do think more needs to be done to encourage reusable cups, or at least make it easier to recycle the ones we use. Recycling bins at train stations, hospitals and on the high street perhaps?

Sorry. Take aways

I said exactly the same to DH this morning. On the news yesterday they showed some prominent lawyers, I think, going in to a court case. It may have been the Cliff Richard one. All clutched a coffee cup. It just looked ridiculous. Do they not have comfort breaks etc in court ?
Just stop take always. Bring your own flask