181–190 of 447 posts
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If they have a plastic lining on the inside (for waterproofing) then they’re not
According to the article they are, but only if you have a machine to separate the wax lining.
Outside those conditions, “disposable” coffee cups of all types lead to long-term pollution.
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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.
Using disposable cups just needs to cost more and that needs to be obvious to the consumer. My local Aldi solved it - even though paper bags are only 5¢, everyone brings their own reusable bag.
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.
Styrofoam for single-use products has been banned in NYC already.
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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.
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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…
Didn't we already solve this with recyclable glass and deposits? Beer bottles at least have worked this way my whole life.
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.
Good. They are a plague. However, I admit that occasionally, if I've forgotten my cup or couldn't bring it, I still use them. Rarely, but it happens. The solution I want to see, for both coffee cups and shopping bags - is reusable shared containers. I don't want to have to bring my bags to the supermarket. It's not just a matter of laziness or forgetfulness - sure, sometimes I forget. But it's also a matter of abilit…
Shopping bags need to be washed, too. Meat juices, being set down on dirty surfaces (bus stop, muddy driveway), left for a week in a house with pests or vermin, etc. Most people are not going to want to reuse someone else's reusable bag without laundering.
Well, we're learning that you have to deal with it at some point, be it the occasional washing or mountains of trash. People are going to have to just suck it up about reusing things. As long as it's safe, people's feelings about perceived ickiness will go away once the practice is normalized. And eventually we won't even remember how convenient it was to just throw things away.
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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
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>Our company cafeteria has metal straws for sale for 50 cents, and a thing to wash them out with. Hygienic issues are the main concern I have with metal straws (e.g. when cafes have them for reuse). I'm assuming the one sold to you came with something like a pipe brush to run through it. For public locations it's really going to be on the staff to clean this thoroughly as I doubt a dishwasher is going to be enough. W…
I think you and people with similar points are exaggerating, dipping the straws in a pot full of water until it boils and then using straw-cleaning tools such as this one is more than enough https://i.imgur.com/OeRC2Gz.jpg
I hardly think I am exaggerating by stating this concern. The development of one-time use cups (like dixie cups) was primarily to address sanitary issues. I can see lipstick on a glass, I can't see funky residue inside a straw.
I've discussed issues with soap use at some cafes that use reusable ceramics (as it can leave a residue and affect the flavor). One owner of a higher end cafe told me that they chose rather to sanitize their cups with a high temperature commercial dishwasher. This violates their local health code but is practically acceptable.
Anyways, I know it's possible to disinfect straws, but if it proves to be more complicated or requires a lesser known process (like boiling them), the odds if it not being done properly or not at all go up.
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I feel like dirty dishes have been a problem in every place I have worked. Have any companies wised up and installed a dishwasher in each kitchen, and have someone assigned to run them every night? Or even just pay someone to wash the dishes by hand?
One company of 120+ people I was at did have a dishwasher and people were somewhat diligent in filling it up, but that didn't stop dishes from piling up in the sink etc. The receptionist ended up being responsible for running the dishwasher and so on unfortunately.