6 ways to waste less when eating out
2. Bring your own coffee cup
If swinging into the coffee shop is a cherished part of your morning ritual, it’s time to BYOC. Even though many coffee shop–supplied cups are made of paper, they’re also lined with a thin layer of plastic, which keeps beverages warm but also renders the cups non-recyclable. You can usually recycle the paper sleeve and possibly the lid, but the cup itself just winds up in the trash. CNN reports that 60 billion paper cups in the U.S. land in the landfill each year—yikes!
Invest in a small thermos or reusable to-go mug—or a couple of them—and get in the habit of packing it with your work stuff each day. Most businesses will gladly give your cup a quick rinse, and many even offer a small discount for bringing your own. Remember, for coffee shops, a cup saved is money saved, so this is a win for them, too.