When you go to Starbucks or other coffee shops, what container do you use for your coffee? It’s probably a paper coffee cup, right? I suppose it is the most convenient container for everyone involved. The shop does not have to wash mugs and the customer does not have to carry around something heavy. Yet if you think about it, there are advantages to using mugs instead of paper cups in coffee shops.
One, we have the ubiquitous issue of helping the environment. Paper cups are made from trees and the more paper we use, the more trees we cut down.
Two, there is the problem of taste degradation – at least for some people. I have never really experienced this but maybe because this is due to the fact that my coffee never stays in the cup for long. Rands of Rands In Repose actually brought this up:
In fact, I’m pissed at paper. Forget about the environmental guilt, cups made of paper are a sure fire way to ruin any cup of coffee because they change the taste. Coffee mugs are the only way to go and I’ve spent a lot more time fretting about mugs than paper.
Starbucks encourages its patrons not to use paper cups, did you know that? If you use your Starbucks mug or cup, you get a certain amount off the coffee price. The discount is not big, but it’s a discount nonetheless. Coffee Bean serves dine-in coffee in mugs – for what reason, I do not know. I guess this is just a small reminder – we can help the environment in our own little way and have great tasting coffee at the same time.
Photo courtesy of StarbuckGuy
Originally posted on June 26, 2008 @ 3:18 am