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Toting your own to-go mug or reusable water bottle isn't just an eco-altruistic act. You can reap many more selfish benefits by becoming a reusenik:
1. Extra money. Whether it's a nearby Starbucks or an indie coffee shop, many coffee shops offer you between a nickel and a quarter off your drink for BYOing.
2. Fewer injuries. Never burn yourself fiddling with those those flimsy plastic coffee cup covers again! Reusable travel mugs and bottles generally come with spill-proof lids, preventing such unfortunate owies.
3. More style. Show off your uniqueness by carrying a mug that reflects your personal style -- whether that's a sport top bottle or a sleek stainless steel mug. Also, you won't get coffee stains on your outfit due to ill-fitting disposable cup lids.
4. Prettier neighborhood. Raise your property values by reducing the sidewalk trash! Those overflowing trash bins outside every Starbucks -- not to mention the disposable cups jettisoned into flower beds and sidewalk gutters -- are an eyesore we can easily prevent.
5. Better health. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, "Studies have shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. One study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles contained phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or liner." Don't become a statistic -- Free yourself from disposable plastics!
Of course the environmental impacts too are still important and meaningful. GreenBiz reports that "Three billion of the world's 200 billion-plus paper cups that start as trees and end up at the dump each year bear the Starbucks logo," for example. Even if these cups are made with paper, they're not easily recyclable, as coffee-stained paper shouldn't be put into your recycling bin. Besides, recycling comes in dead last in the reduce, reuse, recycle list. BYOing is the way to go.
I have a small arsenal of to-go mugs and bottles (above), all of which, luckily enough, I got free. I've got 2 mugs -- a stainless steel Bring Your Own mug that's my main totable, and a plastic Equal Exchange mug that serves as a spare. In general, stainless steel is better, both in terms of health and simple style. As Umbra of Grist points out, plastic mugs get dingy more quickly: "Stainless, on the other hand, will hold the sleek, successful lawyer look over time."
My Equal Exchange cup's a relatively safe #5 plastic, but because there's so much we still don't know about plastics, I much prefer the stainless steel. For water, I have both a big BPA-free FilterForGood Nalgene bottle and a smaller Sigg aluminum bottle.
So start bringing your own! And if you forget once in a blue moon -- Don't despair. Just take that as a sign to sit down to enjoy your cup of coffee in the coffee shop in a ceramic mug. Want to take your BYOing habit a step further? Take your own glass to parties and start a trend! LA Green Drinks even encourages enviro-winos to tote their own glasses.
Related links:
>> Dianne at Something Snappy highly recommends the I am Not a Paper Cup ceramic Coffee Cup. "Because of its glazed lining, I was able to switch from coffee to tea without having any cross flavoring like you do with some other insulated coffee cups so that's a huge plus to me because there's some days that I just want tea instead."
>> Anna at Wend Blog quotes a sad statistic: "North America accounts for almost 60 percent of the more than 220 billion paper cups used each year around the world."
>> Shannon of Tales From the Fairy Blogmother says she's doing 5 things to make the world a better place. Among them: "Just recently I have been taking my travel mug to work with me. This replaces my (double cupped) paper cup for my tea."
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel drinks organic, fair trade coffee in a reusable mug every morning while blogging at greenLAgirl.com.
