Disposable coffee cups

A few days ago, I read a news article from the BBC stating that in Germany alone, 2.8 billion disposable coffee cups ended up in landfills each year.  A July article in CNN says 60 billion paper cups end up in landfills in the US.  Most of the disposable paper coffee cups are not recyclable because they are coated with a thin layer of polyethylene to make them waterproof.  Although several organizations, countries, and companies are working on developing either recyclable paper cups or processes for recycling the current type of paper cups, most of the cups still end up in landfills because the problem is not easy to solve.  A few cities in Germany are testing a reusable cup that can be returned to the coffee shop to be washed and re-used.  In the UK, a new type of cup, easier to recycle, is being tested by a large coffee chain, while another large coffee chain is installing recycling bins in shops and sending the cups to a special recycling facility.  

One way to solve the problem of disposable coffee cups is to stop using them.  Take your own re-usable cup to the coffee shop.  Keep a clean one in your car, briefcase, or bag for unplanned stops to buy a quick cup of coffee.  And don’t use the drive-up window.