Re-useable coffee cups and food hygiene, am I the only one to be worried?

If we thought about hygene all the time we would never eat out anywhere at all.Think how many times you have eaten and drunk from glasses, cups, mugs outside your own house over the years.
You are just as likely to pick up germs from any old door handle, more, possibly.

I'm sorry about your damaged immune system NannaMacGeek but, I do think you are bordering on paranoia, but I can understand it due to your condition. I think you are totally overthinking Moocow. It never occurs to me to analyse every glass, cup ,plate, piece of cutlery (ala Hyacinth Bucket... the episode where she ostentatiously wipes the knife and fork on her serviette.)
Starbucks, Costa Coffee et al (along with Mickey D and all the other takeaways) are totally unconcerned about the global effect their throw -away culture is having.
You pays your money , you takes your choice...... ie take your own cup with you and risk the minute chance of picking up a germ , or accept the environmental threat to the planet, and your GCs, GGCs ...and onwards.

Think you have been a bit harsh with the OP. It's always nice to go for a coffee (or tea) whilst out and about.

But what you’ve got to get in perspective is we ve all being eating and drinking out of pottery all our lives without problems but a few American firms start up their coffee shops here and we have to throw away the cup I don’t drink at Starbucks costa or any of those places as the price of a coffee is ridiculous so all my coffees come in pot cups or mugs and I am still alive and kicking To be honest if I had a compromised immune system to the extent of worrying about germs on cups I would not have a coffee while I was out but wait till I got home

I've thought the same thing OP and find it hard to drink/eat in/out, as I've been handed a glass or cup with lipstick on more than once over the years. This has made me ponder how clean anything might be as the previous user may not have been wearing lipstick to leave evidence of how clean or not something might be.

Our charity had to purchase china cups and use a dishwasher because we provided tea and coffee, we were not allowed to wash any cups up by hand because of hygiene regulations on the premises.

If the customer in front of you had sores around their mouth, handed over a grubby looking cup that was filled and handed back to them, held by the rim (as they are used to do with a disposable cup) and then the server proceeded to handle your cup in the same way, wouldn't any of you feel a qualm? This seems like poor practice to me. Oh well, I see I am the only one to be worried.

I think they recycle these not just re-use them. They go to recycling centres according to the 5 Live programme I listened to this morning. Which means they will be sterile.

Here here misadventure

Germs are everywhere. Door handles are probably one of the worst places, so I wouldn't worry too much. Easy for me to say, I suppose, but I think people are getting a bit obsessive.

I can see where you're coming from but surely there would be as many germs on the other non disposable cups? The customer in question would only get their own cup back.
If you wanted the barista to wash the cup and their hands every time the queue would be horrendous.
I would take antibacterial wipes to use on my cup if I were in your shoes.