TIP IT RUBBISH REMOVALAustralians sure love their coffee, and it’s evident in the number of coffee cups that are consumed every day.
However, only a handful of coffee drinkers responsibly dispose of their coffee cups after consuming them. And before you know it, there are stacks of coffee cups littering the streets and causing blockages around the city. Some of them also end up in a landfill where they are burnt, causing harm to the environment.
So, are you wondering if there are eco-friendly alternatives to disposing of coffee cups? Well, of course there are! Rest assured that you don’t need to sacrifice your daily morning caffeine hit to save the environment any more. Take a look at some of the best alternatives you can explore.
Coffee Cup Waste Statistics In Australia
Did you know that coffee cup wastes are the second largest contributor to the ever-growing waste in Australia? Well, although the largest contributor of waste in Australia continues to be plastic bottles, our daily coffee cups aren’t far behind.
Most people may think that opting for paper coffee cups or disposable coffee cups is the responsible alternative. However, you might be mistaken, as most disposable coffee cups have a plastic lining to make them last longer. At the end of the day, these disposable cups are also not recyclable and end up contributing to plastic waste.
Annual Coffee Cup Waste In Australia
The biggest problem with people using standard disposable coffee cups is that they have to be thrown away after one use. So, although a lot of thought and effort may go into making them, they are essentially useless after you are done with your coffee.
In fact, Australians throw around 2.7 million disposable coffee cups every day. If this number isn’t shocking enough, then imagine what that accumulates to in a year – almost a billion disposable coffee cups!
Besides, most Australians love takeaway coffee, and every half hour, they end up throwing out around 50,000 disposal coffee cups. This shocking number should be enough to encourage coffee drinkers for opting for more sustainable options when it comes to enjoying their daily coffee cup.
Coffee Cup Waste Ending Up In Landfills In Australia
Many Australians think that they are doing the correct thing by throwing their takeaway coffee cups in recycling bins. However, you may be surprised to know that the Council Collection centres will consider only a small handful of these coffee cups for their recycling process.
This is because most disposable coffee cups that have a plastic liner cannot be processed properly by paper recycling mills. Most paper recycling mills end up rejecting these disposable cups, which eventually end up in landfills.
Moreover, the standard paper recycling process cannot function effectively even if there is even a thin layer of plastic lining or polyethylene, which most coffee cups feature.
But most people end up disposing of their coffee cups in the recycling bin as they consider paper cups recyclable. This amounts to about 60,000 kg of plastic every year that ends up in landfills in Australia, contributing to environmental damage and harmful transport emissions.
What Is The Most Sustainable Way To Drink Coffee?
You might be wondering if it is time to give up on your favourite caffeine drink. Well, the good news is that you don’t need to, but what you can do is opt for a more sustainable and responsible option.
Bring Your Own Reusable Coffee Cup
Did you know that many coffee shops will offer their customers a discount if they bring their own reusable coffee cup? Instead of drinking your daily coffee in the disposable coffee cups that the business provides you with, how about purchasing a reusable coffee cup as a long term solution?
The best part is that there are a multitude of options when it comes to reusable coffee cups. From ceramic mugs to glass tumblers, choosing the right cup for your daily caffeine hit isn’t too challenging. You can even opt for paper cups that do not have a plastic lining, as these can be recycled easily and will not end up in a landfill.
Furthermore, if you are someone who enjoys a good cup of coffee every now and then, consider storing a couple of reusable coffee cups at home and in the office. You can even keep extra disposable coffee cups in you car. This way, you don’t have to worry about throwing away the plastic coffee cup provided by the cafe and contributing to more harm to the environment.
Can You Recycle Standard Disposable Coffee Cups?
Let us cut to the chase and tell you that most standard disposable coffee cups are actually not recyclable. Not just that, even the coffee cups that are meant for composting often do not end up in the composting facilities. As of now, these facilities are not equipped to handle the coffee cups lined with plastic, and most of these cups end up in the rubbish.
So, Australia is stuck in a vicious cycle of disposing of coffee cups every single day and accumulating plastic waste. The only way to stop this is by being responsible and opting for the right cups. Hence, make it a point to opt for biodegradable cups that will not harm the environment when disposed of.
If you are in need of emergency clean-up services from your home, consider opting for same-day rubbish removal. This will help you find the right professionals who can offer quick emergency clean up services for when you can’t get it done the DIY way.
Final Words
Making the right choice is not always easy, but taking the first step is the most important part of the process.
Ensure that your used coffee cups do not end up in a landfill and harm the environment. It is up to each citizen to protect their community and the world, and a small step like opting for a reusable coffee cup can make a world of difference. Furthermore, always dispose of your disposable coffee cup responsibly so that the professionals can clean them up and recycle them.
Besides, try and look for responsible cafes around you that encourage customers to bring their own reusable cups. If you don’t have one with you, consider taking a break and sitting at the cafe instead of opting for a takeaway coffee.
