Hey, y’all. Today’s chat is for my fellow coffee-lovers. I have only one thing for you today:
Stop wasting all of those cups and stop wasting so much of your money.
Okay, so maybe it’s kind of two things, but they really go hand-in-hand. Yes, the paper and plastic cups are wasteful, but they’re also costing you a lot. All coffee places on campus will refill your mug for much less than a cup of coffee in a cup that you have to throw out. And yes, you can still get your latte or hot chocolate or tea in a reusable mug if you want to. Guys, I love the idea of Tapingo, and yes, I do use it when I’m in a crunch, but I really wish there were a way to skip the line while also skipping the landfill.
This week, I decided to make a pretty big change and so far I’m loving it. I bought a French Press from Starbucks ($20 in UROs) that was made from 50% post-consumer plastic. I also bought a bag of coffee ($12 in declining). With my French Press, it takes all of four minutes to prepare myself a delicious, hot, fresh cup of coffee. I don’t even have to put on pants to make it, let alone wait in line and waste a paper cup. It’s fantastic. I just dump some grounds in, pour in some hot water, and then I can go do whatever I need to do for four minutes while my coffee brews.
Let’s do some math (well, I’ll math for you and tell you how it ends). Let’s say you get a 12 oz. (small/”tall”) cup of coffee every day. Before your reusable mug it’s $1.85 per cup. With a reusable mug (assuming you already have a mug (if you don’t, Dfo has extras (just kidding, I don’t encourage stealing))), it’s only $1.39 per cup. By bringing your reusable mug every time you will save $13.80 in a month. Also, if you bring a giant mug like I do, then you could end up with more coffee than you would if you ordered a 12 oz. coffee.
However, if you bring your reusable mug, you still have to wait in line and wait for your drink and *ugh* interact with humans. If you hate any of those things then you should consider investing in a French Press. One pound of coffee cost me $12 in declining and will get me about 16 cups of coffee. By making my own cup of coffee every day for a month instead of buying a cup from Starbz, I am saving over $32. And it makes me feel like an adult. And I don’t have to leave my room.
So, whether you want to start using your reusable mug more or are ready to start brewing your own coffee, I encourage you to take the next step for yourself. Your wallet and the planet will thank you. If you have any questions on how to get started, or on how any of this works, please feel free to leave a comment. Peace!
Written by Mariah Greico, Class of 2018