The to-go coffee cup is a ubiquitous aspect of modern life. We see it everywhere: in movies, TV shows, cities, and all over our own campus. But what happens when we’ve finished that last sip of coffee? We conveniently toss the cup into the nearest trash can and go on with our lives.
In recent years, manufacturers have made a push to create these to-go containers out of more sustainable materials: the paper cup appears recyclable, for example, and many to-go cups now are made from compostable ingredients like corn as opposed to plastic derived from oil.
Problems with these initiatives remain, however. Most hot to-go paper cups are lined with an inner layer of plastic to allow them to hold liquid, and cups that claim to be compostable are really only effectively composted in a commercial facility; in short, the vast majority of these products either end up contaminating recycling bins or being thrown in the landfill.
The statistics surrounding these practices are disheartening to say the least, with less than 1% of single-use cups being properly recycled and around 2.5 billion single-use coffee cups ending up in landfills annually around the globe. In terms of Stanford specific waste, we expectedly see more of a focus on sustainable practices – in 2023, the university placed highly in national races to reduce food waste and increase recycling. But there is always more progress to be made.
While this enduring issue of waste speaks to a need for more clarity and education regarding which product should end up where, there is another solution for coffee drinkers that could cut out these single-use products completely: the personal reusable cup.
Some folks are already on board as well. I recently spoke with Brennecke Gale, a 2023 Stanford graduate, coffee lover, and friend of mine whom I know has joined the reusable cup caravan.
“Using a personal cup feels like almost the easiest thing to do to reduce waste.” Brennecke told me when asked about why she took up this habit. “It’s just so easy. It’s an easy habit to build.”
She reflected on her value of caring for the health of the earth – what she thinks is the primary motivation for her use of reusable cups. Even though this is on the forefront of many current students’ minds, some would argue that it’s not as easy of a habit as Brennecke says.
There are several drawbacks to lugging around these personal mugs, cups, or thermoses. The first one is that you have to consciously remember to bring it wherever you go. For many, though, the time spent thinking about our daily coffee break could be spent putting that reusable cup in our backpack when we start the day. There’s also the sunk cost of buying one of these mugs; however, numerous coffee shops around the Bay Area offer discounts for bringing a personal cup, meaning that, in time, this initial cost can be made up. Additionally, several counties in the Bay Area have instituted a “to-go cup tax” that will charge customers a nominal fee to take their coffee on the go.
Even with the added monetary incentive, the trend hasn’t caught the steam it needs to make an impact on our consciousness and the planet. So, if saving money can’t galvanize people to change, what will it take? I asked Brennecke if the whole issue is even worth thinking about.
“It’s definitely not hurting... but I do always wonder how important it is that I as an individual make this choice, when obviously all these single-use items are being produced and used on such a massive scale.”
Brennecke also recognized the privilege that comes with thinking about something as trivial as cutting down on one facet of personal waste. She spoke about how this movement is not enough, but rather that this effort might be emblematic of a greater mindset shift in this wasteful “to-go” culture.
"I think practicing this and other ways of being more personally sustainable can attune us more to the ways we “use” things... and I think that on a larger scale can be more powerful.”
There are those who would argue that this issue is the tiniest drop in the climate change bucket – an argument that is not without validity. But as Brennecke pointed out, why not make this easy change in routine? More than anything, it is a shift in perspective – one that aims to rethink this larger culture of wasteful practices. By practicing this simple change and spreading the word, consumers might be able to have a larger impact than we think.
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Nur is a photographer and writer from small-town Oregon. He is a masters student in the Environmental Communications program at Stanford and graduated last June with a degree in English.
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