Ok, I told all these links to open in new windows so you can have a look at them as we go. If it doesn't work, let me know. I'm not a computy-type person.
Here's something you already know about me: I hate waste. Here's something you may know about me: I think about waste and waste reduction strategies almost all the time. Here's something you probably don't know about me: I absolutely love both tea and coffee! I'll often have a tea or coffee when I'm out somewhere, usually a cappuccino since someone else is making, but I really try to only go to cafes which will give me a ceramic cup. I don't want to drink from a disposable cup which will end up in landfill unless it's some sort of cappuccino emergency (which I can't think of what that might be). The problem with this system is that I am a very fidgety person and my mind never stops. I may decide I need to absolutely be somewhere else right now when I'm not finished my drink yet, so, since it's in a ceramic cup, I can either drink it all down really quickly, burn my throat and not enjoy it at all, or leave some and feel like I wasted milk, coffee, sugar (yes, I do. What of it?) and a percentage of the money I spent on the drink. I have decided the only real solution to this conundrum is to bring my own cup. But first I need to buy one, and what kind do I want? Let's see:
I had a little explore in internet-land and found that there are
all kinds of reusable travel mug and cup, and you don't have to look far at all to find a cheap one, a sturdy one, a plastic or metal or ceramic one, but that's not all that's important to me. I looked into environmental impact; materials, packaging and transport to me. I really like the idea of Oxfam's
"not a paper cup", even though it's traveled a long way to get to me, but it is ceramic. When I was doing a little research into the Oxfam reusable cup, I found
another not-paper cup which has a very nice design, but is also ceramic. Even though it looks awesome and would last a long time as just a normal kitchen cup, I don't give it long in the den of horrors that is my hand bag.
I really like the idea of helping a charity through the simple act of buying something I'd buy anyhow, like the Oxfam cup, but I still find myself researching where things are made and how they were shipped to my area. My searches led me to these
Animal Rescue reusable cups, some of which look really great and I'd be proud to carry one. That is a US site, though, so I kept looking and also found
Breast Cancer Awareness travel mugs. These are only some examples. Your own searches will take you wonderful places!
Too far away, too big, too expensive... a comment on my last post here suggested
Keep Cup, so that is one I looked up specifically. Keep Cup is very popular, and I had a lot of fun on the site designing my own over and over (oh my gosh you guys! I made it so pretty!) but haven't actually bought one, yet. I will, of course, let you know when I do. I found
this review of Keep Cup really helpful and informative, (and it basically said everything so that I don't have to) and I actually really liked a lot of things on the blog, so it's in my "stuff I like to read" section, now. I was a little skeptical about a plastic cup, but it's only made
once. It can be used for four years (or more) and then can be recycled. That's pretty awesome! Think about all the disposable cups you could not-use in
four years! Personally, I'd not-use 208 or more! Very awesome. I hope to be telling you about
my reusable coffee cup in the near future.
I hope I didn't ramble, but looking at the clock and noticing the time, I'm sure I did...
Love you all, really I do!
Cassandra Louise
