Who doesn’t like a coffee on the go? I will be one of the first to take one with me. Sometimes to work, on the train, walking in the street … And most of the time, I carry my reusable one with me, but sometimes I forgot it on the kitchen sink or want to buy a treat for a friend.
Don’t underestimate the trash of take away coffee
Most of the drinks you can take out, for example coffee, thee, smoothies … are provided in single use cups. And yes, most of these cups cannot be recycles decently.
The cups made for hot beverages, for example, have a small and tiny polystyrene layer that is not easily (or even impossible) to decompose. That’s because for that, the paper and plastic layers need to be detached and that is easier said as done. And now I don’t even mention how this layer adds micro-plastics to our hot drink only by using it. Bon apétit!
As the title of this section indicates, the impact can be easily underestimated. To use as example some numbers from within the United Kingdom alone, around 2,5 bilion cups are thrown away each year. And however I know you will tell me ‘that we are not like them’ or ‘that it’s impossible to compare’, the situation might be not so different. And I only need to take a quick look at the Brussels Streets and trash bins to confirm it.
Wake up! We are overdosing
A Belgian initiative has been roaming our cities. It’s the Billie Cup. It’s the story of a reusable cup, but different than the one you are obliged to take with you all the time. The concept contains the idea that you pay 1 EURO extra (in the participating shops that offer this cup) to get your coffee in the reusable Billie Cup. No worries. When you return your cup, you get your euro back. If you also want a lid on top of the cup, it’s available for 1,5 euro extra. But due to hygiene this you need to keep for further use. And thanks to Billie, you can still take out your coffee, but now it’s more eco-responsable.
Because…
- You are helping to put an end to the number of trash (by take out coffee)
- You need less trees cut down, for all the ‘paper’ cups
- You help to keep the ocean a cleaner place, the streets have less trash and our planet will stay healthier (let’s hope).
I’m working on an interactive map with all participating shops offering the Billie Cup at the end of this article. You can also find more information on the website of Billie Cup.
In the mean while, I hope to see you soon in other articles about eco and sustainable discoveries and adventures. Don’t hesitate to jump into my section of “Plant Based Kitchen” where you can help the planet by saying no to the industry that is causing terrible conditions for animals to live in by discovering the plant based lifestyle.
My sources:
RTBF – Une taxe sur les gobelets de cafe voir leur interdiction
Photo by Jasmin Sessler on Unsplash
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