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Coffee Cups Are Next

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Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#171

Post by exclusiv »

sjy wrote: post #163
baroffoos wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This stat gets thrown around for a lot of different kinds of reusable products but what no one ever mentions is what does environmentally friendly actually mean. When I have looked it up its always simply looking at energy usage to produce the product when by far the biggest impact of our throwaway products is that they end up blowing around the streets or they fall in to the ocean. And even if you do put them in the…

I have a few reusable, resealable glass coffee cups, and I don’t know that I got 70 uses out of them before I dropped one as I was washing it and it shattered. I’ll be buying plastic reusable cups next time, even though they’re not as nice to use, because for someone as clumsy as me, the risk of breaking a glass object that needs to be hand-washed regularly and is intended to be used while moving around is quite high…

Stainless steel is ideal. Wide mouth Rtic or similar is easy to hand clean if you don't have a dishwasher.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#172

Post by marcus_holmes »

zeta0134 wrote: post #70
pg_bot wrote: post #55

If you don't think the people who work at these companies care about making better cups, read the following article.[0] There is a big opportunity for making a better disposable cup, but there are many engineering hurdles to jump over. - The cup has to retail for 17 cents. - It has to support a lid that is resealable. - It has to tip over and not spill. - It has to handle high temperatures. - It can't alter the taste…

It's worth pointing out that the obvious alternative, reusable to-go cups, need to solve an additional set of challenges: - Must NOT violate sanitization of the work area; cups provided by customers should not pose any health risks to workers or other customers. - Should be durable enough to survive repeated visits - Either the reusable cup must conform to a standard size, baristas need a way to measure liquids consi…

I bought mulled red wine (gluewine sp?) in a christmas market in Germany this last winter. They sell you a proper coffee-type-mug to drink it from, for 6 euros (about US$7), which you can return when you're done and they'll refund you.

I kept mine, it's a nice souvenir of Cologne and I drink my coffee from it every morning :)

If you had to pay, say $10 for a proper coffee mug to have your take-away coffee in, but they'd buy back those same coffee mugs for the same price, that would probably solve the problem.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#173

Post by ClassyJacket »

pg_bot wrote: post #74
zeta0134 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth pointing out that the obvious alternative, reusable to-go cups, need to solve an additional set of challenges: - Must NOT violate sanitization of the work area; cups provided by customers should not pose any health risks to workers or other customers. - Should be durable enough to survive repeated visits - Either the reusable cup must conform to a standard size, baristas need a way to measure liquids consi…

From what I've read the reusables have to be used ~70 times to be more environmentally friendly than the current disposables. I think the easiest win would be designating between sit down and take out customers. Sit down customers could be given porcelain or some other washable container. However this would increase labor costs for businesses so you don't automatically get a free win.

"I think the easiest win would be designating between sit down and take out customers. Sit down customers could be given porcelain or some other washable container."

Interesting, what country are you from that doesn't do this? I can't think of a coffee place I've been to that doesn't, in Australia and Europe. Even McDonald's has porcelain cups for sit down customers.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#175

Post by pg_bot »

pvg wrote: post #160
pg_bot wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be wary of selection bias in the people who already use reusable containers. They might be more diligent in their sanitation than a larger population would be. Anyone in the food service business that is good, cares deeply about health inspections. I can foresee some problems with the plan. For example, you might get higher turnover because staff members are sick of cleaning dirty cups. It might take longer t…

Back under Advanced Socialism, we had public soda machines with public glasses which you had to wash yourself at the machine. We did not die out of glass-borne communicable diseases. I don't think the hygiene (or cup management) problem is quite as severe as you suspect it is. https://i.imgur.com/TIhqyIh.jpg

Lest you think I'm some sort of madman, I suspect the hygiene problem is quite mild. But speaking as someone who has washed dishes for a living, people can be quite disgusting with their food and that does get to you.

Having an attitude where you say "why don't they just do this" is typically not helpful. People are smart, they probably have already considered your solutions. If someone doesn't do something the way you think it should be done it doesn't make them stupid. Trying to figure out what you are missing when a solution seems obvious is a helpful way to see the world.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#176

Post by verelo »

mrbonner wrote: post #143
satori99 wrote: post #96

A former workplace of mine mandated that no-one was allowed to use re-usable coffee mugs at all. This was done because of the mass of dirty, moldy cups that seemed to fill every kitchenette in a multi-floor building. The business was a media organization and it seemed to me like reporters were the worst culprits. The company provided styrofoam cups which were consumed at a enormous rate, and this was deemed to be a b…

At my workplace there are occasions when some people just push their own glasses, cups or bottle waters up touching the nozzle. It is so unsanitary. When we have the disposable cups this kind of issue wouldn’t happen.

"It is so unsanitary."

Is it really that bad? As in, so bad it justifies the amount of waste the alternatives produce? I'm sure it's not the worst thing you deal with on a daily basis i.e. door handles are pretty gross.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#177

Post by lxmorj »

glenngillen wrote: post #80
alexvaut wrote: post #48

What about returning refillable standard cups ? You return them dirty, starbucks/mac do wash them and everytime you want a coffee you get a clean one. It existed in France for glass bottles in the last century, it's still like that in Belgium for beers (and works very well). I don't see any problem to apply it for coffee. You can even think of little stickers of the brand from where you get your coffee, those sticker…

I met the founders of a Startup last month that are doing exactly that: https://www.tcx.org/

Just mobile or is there really not a single picture of the cups on their site?

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#178

Post by remir »

dharma1 wrote: post #39

What's the best reusable travel mug you've used? Easy to wash, good looking, lightweight, durable. Those stainless steel double wall ones any good?

I bought a Contigo stainless steel travel mug at some big box store and was really impressed. Coffee stays hot for a long time.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#179

Post by 01100011 »

satori99 wrote: post #96

A former workplace of mine mandated that no-one was allowed to use re-usable coffee mugs at all. This was done because of the mass of dirty, moldy cups that seemed to fill every kitchenette in a multi-floor building. The business was a media organization and it seemed to me like reporters were the worst culprits. The company provided styrofoam cups which were consumed at a enormous rate, and this was deemed to be a b…

What's wrong with styrofoam, assuming it is disposed of properly? Does it cause problems when tossed into a landfill? I think styrofoam is actually pretty good, per unit of source material, because it is expanded so much.

Re: Coffee Cups Are Next

#180

Post by remir »

alexvaut wrote: post #48

What about returning refillable standard cups ? You return them dirty, starbucks/mac do wash them and everytime you want a coffee you get a clean one. It existed in France for glass bottles in the last century, it's still like that in Belgium for beers (and works very well). I don't see any problem to apply it for coffee. You can even think of little stickers of the brand from where you get your coffee, those sticker…

Standard is the key word here. Good thing McDonals is partnering with Stabucks here.
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