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When it comes to coffee, I know that reusable mugs are the best waste reduction strategy. But in the case of the disposable cup, what's the skinny on recycling it?
This is a tough question to give a straight answer on. The option of recycling the majority of disposable cups is not available in most communities. There are four primary disposable cup options I can think of: the foam cup, the plastic cup and two varieties of paper cups, one coated and one not.
When it comes to cold beverage cup options, the plastic cup is a common choice and it is recyclable in many communities, including ours. Keep in mind that plastic is made from a non-renewable resource and when recycled is turned into a secondary product, meaning that a plastic cup will not be recycled into another one. This means that more petroleum will be extracted and refined to make a new cup. So the recycling of this plastic, although better than landfilling, doesn't leave you with a completely clear conscience ... And would not be my choice, if given one.
The uncoated paper cup, however, is not recyclable. This is for various reasons, such as high contamination rates from food and drink residues, but you can compost them.
Therefore, if you are unable to gain access to your beloved reusable cup for that cool drink, I would recommend using an uncoated paper cup and toting it back home to your compost bin.
Luckily, there is another cold drink vessel option - the compostable cup, often made from corn. These take quite some time to compost, but they will break down in your bin eventually. Of course, if you send it to the landfill it will not decompose, because landfills are designed to prevent just that. It is still a better option though, as it creates a market for these products and does not utilize a non-renewable resource in its manufacture. You can identify these plastic cup look-alikes by the abbreviation of PLA on the bottom of the cup.
Unfortunately these options are not good when you want to fill your cup with a hot drink. The plastic and compostable cups will melt and the paper cup will turn into a soggy mess.
Let's say that it is one of those mornings where your alarm didn't go off, your car wouldn't turn over until the 10th attempt, and you are in serious need of some caffeine, but (gasp!) you forgot that beloved reusable mug. You now have three options. Use a foam cup. Use a coated paper cup. Or skip the coffee. You know that you won't survive the day without that caffeine jolt, so which cup do you choose?
The coated paper cup is coated in, you guessed it, a petroleum-based product, making it a cousin to plastic. That makes it non-recyclable as the two products, paper and plastic, are nearly impossible to separate from one another.
Now, the foam cup is actually made from Expandable Polystyrene (EPS), which, again, is a petroleum-based product and therefore is evil. Did I say evil? I meant to say that it is the #6 plastic, which is not collected for recycling in Summit County, or virtually anywhere else on the planet. It comes from a non-renewable resource, is energy intensive to manufacture and creates much water and air pollution in its creation and use.
So basically neither hot beverage cup option is a very ecologically friendly choice, but the coated paper contains a bit less petroleum, so I guess if I had the choice I would go for that.
Before I close, let me say that we all drink liquids on the run. We all forget our reusable mugs and cups from time to time. Minimize the number of times that you forget that mug or cup, by having one in your car, bag and at work. But don't beat yourself up if you have to use a non-recyclable cup once in a blue moon. Worry more about those daily choices that have larger impacts upon our planet, such as how you are getting to the coffee shop to fill up that cup.
The next blue moon, by the way is in June of next year, so you don't have too long to wait ...
Eartha Steward is written by Carly Wier, Holly Loff, and Beth Orstad, consultants on all things eco and chic at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation in our mountain community. Eartha believes that you can walk gently on our planet, even if you're wearing stylie shoes.
Submit questions to Eartha to recycle@colorado.net with Ask Eartha as the subject or to High Country Conservation Center, PO Box 4506, Frisco, CO 80443.
This is a tough question to give a straight answer on. The option of recycling the majority of disposable cups is not available in most communities. There are four primary disposable cup options I can think of: the foam cup, the plastic cup and two varieties of paper cups, one coated and one not.
When it comes to cold beverage cup options, the plastic cup is a common choice and it is recyclable in many communities, including ours. Keep in mind that plastic is made from a non-renewable resource and when recycled is turned into a secondary product, meaning that a plastic cup will not be recycled into another one. This means that more petroleum will be extracted and refined to make a new cup. So the recycling of this plastic, although better than landfilling, doesn't leave you with a completely clear conscience ... And would not be my choice, if given one.
The uncoated paper cup, however, is not recyclable. This is for various reasons, such as high contamination rates from food and drink residues, but you can compost them.
Therefore, if you are unable to gain access to your beloved reusable cup for that cool drink, I would recommend using an uncoated paper cup and toting it back home to your compost bin.
Luckily, there is another cold drink vessel option - the compostable cup, often made from corn. These take quite some time to compost, but they will break down in your bin eventually. Of course, if you send it to the landfill it will not decompose, because landfills are designed to prevent just that. It is still a better option though, as it creates a market for these products and does not utilize a non-renewable resource in its manufacture. You can identify these plastic cup look-alikes by the abbreviation of PLA on the bottom of the cup.
Unfortunately these options are not good when you want to fill your cup with a hot drink. The plastic and compostable cups will melt and the paper cup will turn into a soggy mess.
Let's say that it is one of those mornings where your alarm didn't go off, your car wouldn't turn over until the 10th attempt, and you are in serious need of some caffeine, but (gasp!) you forgot that beloved reusable mug. You now have three options. Use a foam cup. Use a coated paper cup. Or skip the coffee. You know that you won't survive the day without that caffeine jolt, so which cup do you choose?
The coated paper cup is coated in, you guessed it, a petroleum-based product, making it a cousin to plastic. That makes it non-recyclable as the two products, paper and plastic, are nearly impossible to separate from one another.
Now, the foam cup is actually made from Expandable Polystyrene (EPS), which, again, is a petroleum-based product and therefore is evil. Did I say evil? I meant to say that it is the #6 plastic, which is not collected for recycling in Summit County, or virtually anywhere else on the planet. It comes from a non-renewable resource, is energy intensive to manufacture and creates much water and air pollution in its creation and use.
So basically neither hot beverage cup option is a very ecologically friendly choice, but the coated paper contains a bit less petroleum, so I guess if I had the choice I would go for that.
Before I close, let me say that we all drink liquids on the run. We all forget our reusable mugs and cups from time to time. Minimize the number of times that you forget that mug or cup, by having one in your car, bag and at work. But don't beat yourself up if you have to use a non-recyclable cup once in a blue moon. Worry more about those daily choices that have larger impacts upon our planet, such as how you are getting to the coffee shop to fill up that cup.
The next blue moon, by the way is in June of next year, so you don't have too long to wait ...
Eartha Steward is written by Carly Wier, Holly Loff, and Beth Orstad, consultants on all things eco and chic at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation in our mountain community. Eartha believes that you can walk gently on our planet, even if you're wearing stylie shoes.
Submit questions to Eartha to recycle@colorado.net with Ask Eartha as the subject or to High Country Conservation Center, PO Box 4506, Frisco, CO 80443.
