As you may know, I generally carry an ultra-cool reusable cup–otherwise known as a glass jar–for use when I get coffee. For the longest time, if I forgot my jar, rather than use a paper or plastic cup, I would just forgo the coffee (even though I don’t keep to the No Impact rules so stringently anymore, I can’t bring myself to use throwaway cups).
Anyway, yesterday I discovered a whole new ploy. I reached into the trash of a coffee place, pulled out a barely used cup that someone else had thrown away, washed it, and asked the barista to put my coffee in it. Tada! I could have coffee even if I forgot my jar, and I did not cause a cup to be thrown away!
PS I admit that I still prefer my jar, because sure enough, someone said to me, “What are you doing using a paper cup?”
PPS Enjoy the slideshow of thrown-away coffee cups courtesy of Celina’s Coffee Cup Project on Flickr.