YOU can be the solution by joining the Mugs of CU! It only takes one simple daily habit... Lug Your Mug! If you get in the habit to take your mug with you every day or leave it in your bag/car, then your actions create a direct positive impact for the planet and the people!
What problem are you solving with this simple daily change? Well, the cost of this disposable “convenience” can be seen in the paper coffee cups that add up in our landfill bins and contaminate our recycling systems. It is estimated that 400 million paper cups are used each day in the US, leading to upwards of 25 billion cups ending up the landfill each year.
The Cost of “Convenience” from Disposable Cups
- 9.4 million trees were harvested just for cups (some studies say 20 million per year!)
- 12 billion gallons of water are used in the making of paper cups annually.
- 53,000 homes could be powered every year by energy that’s used to make and dispose of paper cups.
- 3,125,000 tons of CO2 emissions were generated.
- 363 million pounds of waste were generated and sent mostly to landfills
Coffee Cups are NOT Recyclable
- Almost all paper cups are coated with a plastic lining that makes them NOT recyclable
- The plastic coating cannot be easily separated from the paper and then contaminates any pulp it is combined with in the paper making process
- Do NOT put paper cups into your recycling bin!
- Some cups are compostable and can go in your curbside compost bin
- However, the recycling industry is always evolving and certain communities have been establishing recycling programs for paper cups where there are end markets to turn them into new products
- The City of Denver, along with a few other cities in the country, have been collecting paper cups in their recycling program.
- This option is not widespread, so make sure to check with your local community before putting cups into your recycling bins.
Choose to Reuse – Reasons Why
- Save precious resources
- If you were to save a cup a day for 40 years you would save 24 trees.
- If we don’t use cups, then there is not need to produce cups from tress
- Saving one cup at a time adds up
- If you bring your own cup for your daily coffee somewhere between 20 and 100 times, it starts to have less impact on the environment that paper cups
- The more times you use your mug after that, the better it gets!
- Save money!
- Most coffee shops provide discounts if you bring your own mug
- Some shops might not allow your own mug due to COVID, but several are getting back to normal and allowing your to fill your own mug
- Drinks taste better out of your favorite mug
- Drinking out of steel travel mugs or porcelain mugs just tastes better
- Slow down... sit down in a shop and take a few minute to enjoy time alone or with friends
Lug Your Mug events at CU
- Free Coffee if you Lug Your Mug
- No coffee cups will be provided
- Join the Zero Waste Outreach Team every Wednesday for 4 weeks on the following dates:
- 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3
- At the ATLAS/VAC corridor... find our table just outside ATLAS (near Peoke coffee shop)
- From 9am until we run out of coffee
- Our main goals:
- Reward people who Lug Their Mugs
- Support reuse
- Incentivize people to get in the habit to bring their mug
- If you miss us one week, we will be there again until 11/3
- Get in the habit... Lug Your Mug... Choose to Reuse