Most of my fashionable peers have what can only be politely described as a coffee habit. Personally, I indulge in copious amounts of warm caffeinated beverages throughout the day, and sometimes well into the evening. Unfortunately, all of those paper cups and sleeves can quickly add up and wind up having a devastating toll on the environment. According to the Environmental Defense Fund American’s used a total of 23 billion paper cups in 2010.
Luckily, you don’t have to kick your coffee habit all together to be an eco-conscious consumer, there are several fashionable reusable coffee cups and sleeves on the market. These alternatives to the standard bulky travel thermos will have the baristas complimenting your style and your coworkers envious of your wares.
Probably one of the most popular and iconic coffee cup alternatives is the “I am not a paper cup…” 10 oz ceramic travel cup with silicon lid. The minimalist design makes it impossible to tell that it is indeed not a paper cup until you touch it.
If you’re looking to stand out from the coffee shop crowd, then the sewZinski Etsy shop has you covered with a variety of adorable hand painted ceramic cups.
And for all you tea lovers out there, here are ceramic cups designed specifically for you!
Clumsy types may want to avoid ceramic all together. Luckily BPA free KeepCups come in barista standard sizes, and a variety of customizable colors.
Sometimes you just can’t be sure when the mood for a soy dark chocolate mocha is going to strike, but you can still reduce your environmental impact by always keeping a reusable coffee sleeve in your bag. Laura Bucci Handmade on Etsy is the maker of cute retro and vintage inspired coffee cozies.
Or you can easily make your own fabric sleeve using this tutorial
If you’re looking for a more heavy-duty sleeve that will stand up to spills and stains you can try a Cup Cooley silicon sleeve.
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I love hearing someone else admit to drinking coffee even at night. =)
Another benefit to bringing your own cup is that most coffee shops give you a discount!
I have the “I am not a paper cup”! I really love it, except because the ceramic is quite thick, it holds much less than you’d think it would. Still cool, though!
I love the ceramic cups but my clumsy ass would break them in a week!
My cat broke two of mine!
What perfect timing! It’s been on my to-do list to get one of these…and now here they are, including BPA-free options. Thank you!
I love these cups! I didn’t realise their was so many pretty ones out there, I am definitelt going to have to buy one. I recently bought a coffee machine so I could avoid overpriced coffee shops all the time but it’s not good if you don’t have anything to put your coffee in on the run!x
I just wanted to thank you for sharing eco-friendly alternatives for coffee consumption. Thanks for including my travel mug.
I also thought this factoid was interesting:
“The environmental problems associated with paper cups are only accentuated by their wide-spread usage among coffee drinkers. Considering how big the coffee industry has become, it’s difficult to determine just how many disposable coffee cups get used annually. According to the paper industry, Americans will consume an estimated 23 billion paper coffee cups in 2010. Rob Martin, the Vice President of Merchandising and Production for Tully’s Coffee, estimated the 2006 use usage at 16 billion paper cups.”
(found this on http://www.sustainabilityissexy.com/facts.html)