Trash Talk #8: Is a Reusable Cup Always Better Than Single-use?
You walk into your local coffee shop, hand the barista your reusable coffee mug, and pat yourself on the back for not using one of those ‘bad for the environment’ single-use cups.
Can anyone else relate?
Among the various choices that one can make in their daily life to be more sustainable, swapping our single-use beverage containers for reusable ones seems to be the biggest no-brainer. However, when we consider the full lifecycle of a product by taking into account the materials and resources that go into both its production and maintenance… the surprising reality is that sometimes, choosing reusable isn’t always better.
What! No Way! Why?
A study outlined in Anthropocene Magazine examined the environmental impacts of all the factors that go into making single-use coffee cups, compared to reusable cups of various materials — ceramic, stainless steel, polypropylene, and polycarbonate. When looking strictly at climate change and human health factors (greenhouse gas emissions and resource usage in production), reusable cups were better than single-use, if they are used once a day for about 4 months.
However, when considering the materials and energy that go into the maintenance of reusable cups (the soap and hot water necessary to wash it, the energy needed to heat the hot water), a reusable cup would need to be used once a day for nearly 3 years before the environmental impact is offset.
The article states “Granted, using a reusable cup lowers the waste-management environmental impacts.” However, “the number of times a cup is used is paramount. Indeed, only with frequent use can one decrease the potential impacts of the reusable cup; it would take between 20 … and more than 1,000 … uses, depending on the cup/mug type and the environmental indicator, to make up for the impacts of a single-use cup. If a reusable cup is used fewer times than that, the single-use cup is better for the environment.”
Are you saying I should switch back to single-use?
Definitely not; this is by no means encouraging the use of single-use items. Rather, it is to help us understand that reusable items offer the most environmental benefit the longer they are in use.
So instead of buying the newest trendy container that is advertised, pause and consider if you really need to buy a new one, or if you can refuse the purchase. You might already have one that is perfectly functional to reuse over and over again! And if you already have a water bottle or container you use and love, remember to bring it everywhere. In case you are the type (like me) who is prone to lose things, it doesn’t hurt to label your reusable belongings with your name and phone number as well :)
