In the past decade our planet has become host to the rising establishment known as the coffee shop. People who were once too intimidated to even order a black coffee from the notoriously snooty counter person known as a “barista” have now completely conformed to the culture by spatting off, “Give me a double, skinny, no foam, sugar free vanilla, extra hot latte with whip and cocoa powder.” We’ll be studied in biology books in the centuries to come as the transitional fossil between the first Seattle coffee shop and our future 3-armed skeleton, with an extra appendage for toting that white paper cup. Well, that is if we don’t drown in all those disposable paper cups before then.
Yes, every paper coffee cup you’ve ever used is still lurking in a landfill somewhere, and they’re gaining on us at an alarming rate. It’s estimated that 58 billion paper cups are thrown away every year, not including recycled cups. They rarely can be recycled due to the polyethylene lining the interior. Since paper cups are mostly comprised of virgin wood, about 20 million trees are cut down for a year’s worth of cup production. And to make all of these cups we need around 12 billion gallons of water. Many cup manufacturers and their patrons are taking notice of the issue and proactive movements have begun to invent more sustainable ways to serve your favorite bean juice.
The Complete Package is also taking part in this effort by offering coffee cups with a lighter carbon footprint. We now have Moducup paper cups, which boast 25% post consumer recycled paper, and Eco-Wave cups which are designed to eliminate the need for a sleeve; saving the environment and you on cost. The population has spoken, and coffee on the go is here to stay.