A couple of weeks ago, I was pondering aloud as to why cafes and coffee shops weren’t giving customers the option of having their coffee (or any hot drink) prepared in a jug and poured into their reusable cup, without there being any contact from either party.
I love coffee as much as the next person but I experience a pang of guilt whenever I buy a coffee in a disposable cup. Pre-pandemic, I religiously brought a reusable cup around with me in an effort to mitigate plastic waste. Now, if I fancy a coffee and a treat whilst I’m out and about, I must carry the burden of knowing that I’m directly contributing to plastic waste.
The amount of disposable crockery and cutlery used must be at an all time high. While biodegradable options are used at most establishments, it does very little in terms of battling plastic waste.
However, as society reopens and as we attempt to return to some form of normality, the question of when the use of disposable plastics will become but a distant memory, remains unanswered.
Whilst over-thinking this issue (as ever), I stumbled across the Conscious Cup Campaign – a point of information for establishments looking to start accepting reusable cups and to return to using regular crockery and cutlery once again.
A notable quote on the website from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland states:
“It is not necessary to use disposable cups, cutlery or other disposable crockery. Washing crockery and cutlery in the dishwasher will kill any virus present. Proper hygiene practices must always be observed when handling crockery and cutlery. Using disposable crockery and cutlery can lead to a false sense of security and can mean staff are not as conscious of hygiene practices when handling these items.”
In terms of making the use of reusable coffee cups ‘contactless’, the Conscious Cup Campaign have put together a very simple step-by-step guide:
- The customer brings their own clean reusable cup & holds onto their lid.
- When placing an order they advise they have their own reusable.
- Customer places cup on a pre-marked spot on a table/tray and steps back.
- Barista prepares the drink inside the cafe in a reusable cup or jug.
- If the order is coffee, the barista will keep the coffee shot and milk elements separate.
- Barista then pours the drink into the cup without any contact with the cup.
- Barista steps back and customer steps forward taking their coffee away to be enjoyed.
To compliment the guide, a very helpful video can be found here, while a map of cafes accepting reusable cups can be found at this link.
While protecting each other is incredibly important, it is just as important that we make every conscious effort to protect the environment.
Inspiringly Sustainable 