hot coffee cups on the go – paper or plastic?

Reusable coffee cups.

Starbucks, Peet’s, Coffee Bean, Palermo; they’ll all gladly pour coffee into one.

They create less waste and usually save a few nickels on each drink purchase…

So why has it been so hard for me to start?

Conserving finances keeps me from actually purchasing a reusable cup.

Pretty POSITIVE I’ll consistently forget it in the sink at home.

Could keep my cup in the car after each use, but think I’ll have a hard time giving a dirty one over to the barista behind the counter. Paranoia will have me reeling; wondering if she thinks I’m a nasty, unsanitary, slob of a coffee drinker.

And sometimes I car-hop. Which means I’d have to make that extra mental effort (do any of us really need more... stuff to remember?!?) to be sure I have my cup when I head out. Just in case.  

Alright. There you have it. Reasons I continue to buy coffee in (typically) non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, non-compostable paper cups.

            Stinginess.

            Absentmindedness.

            Fear of being judged.

            And just being plain lazy.

And here are reasons why I’ve decided to take steps toward my first sustainable habit: purchasing and consistently using a reusable coffee cup (or tumbler they’re sometimes called).  

We’re talking about a one-time purchase of ten-or-so dollars here. This really isn’t a bad investment; most coffee shops offer discounts to patrons who bring in their own cups. Though it’s usually only small change (Starbucks discounts something like ten cents), small change adds up! (Side note: Don’t do the math… You’d have to buy a ton of tall Americano’s just to break even on the money you save bringing in your own cup. But in theory, you’ll eventually get there!)

I’m 27 years old. It’s about time I got over giving a hoot about what others thought about me. I won’t forget my cup in the sink, because I’ll keep it in my car, hand it over the counter with pride and tip the barista the money I saved bringing in my own dishware as a ‘thank you’ for rinsing it out using the fancy upward-shooting-water-contraption-thing that makes washing the inside of coffee shop cups super easy.

And the car-hopping… So perhaps I’ll invest in two? Or maybe there’s some innovative cup model out there functional or collapsible enough to keep in my bag of a purse? 

The challenge seems a bit overwhelming.

This means ZERO paper coffee cups for me (hopefully for the rest of forever).

If I do forget my reusable one, misplace it or leave it at home; no coffee to-go. Making my cup a part of me, like my purse, will be essential.

But breaking this down into steps is slowly increasing confidence in feasibility.

Just have to focus on taking one small step a day.

First is to find the perfect tumbler. Next is to avoid buying coffee until I do.  

Coming up, I’ll share my purchase decision(s) with you. As well as what motivated me to make this change. That’s an eye-opening one. Don’t miss it. 

In the meantime, anybody out there already made this a habit? Any tips for those just starting out? Funny stories? Something to look forward to? Would love to hear!