I got a text yesterday from Matt, my youngest son that is a teacher out in Telluride, Colorado. He said that his town is considering banning plastic bags. I thought that sounded like a great idea. I guess not for the people that work for the companies that make them, but definitely for our environment. Perhaps they could come up with a bag that breaks down quickly in the landfills....just a thought. Anyway he asked if Irv and I use plastic bags when we shop or if we have reusable bags.
I proudly replied that we bring our own bags to the grocery store. I added that I never think to bring one in though when we go to places like Menards or Target....and we really should.
Then he asked if I use the throw away cups when I get coffee or if I bring my own. Uh............he got me on that one. I never bring my own. I am lazy. I use the drive through and I don't get coffee, I get a latte, and I wasn't sure if they would do that with a specialty drink, and I really only get one now every couple of weeks. In other words I made lots of excuses.
He politely informed me that I probably still threw away 30 cups a year, and that he won't even get coffee "to go" unless he has a mug with him.
Hmmmmmm......guilt.....guilt.....guilt......
So today when I went to get a special Friday treat at Starbucks, I brought my mug.
I parked my car, grabbed my camera to document the event and entered the store. I asked the lady if they were able to put a latte in my mug and she said sure. I asked if I could take a couple of pictures because I had to prove to my son that I did it.You would have thought I asked her to do something really, really illegal. She quickly put her hand over the Starbucks logo on her apron and said....."This isn't a Starbucks cup". Uh, no it is not.....it's from The Coffee Cowboy in Telluride, Colorado.
"What are you going to do with the pictures?" I had already told her that, but I tried to reassure her......I told her I wouldn't put her apron or her face in the picture, and that I just wanted to show them to my son so I could prove I was using the mug he bought me.
This could have been so much fun. There was no one in the place. I could have posed with my cup and I could have taken pictures of them making my drink and pouring it into my cup.....but nope that wasn't going to happen. The photos you see are the best I could do.
My drink fit just fine and I did not throw a cup into the landfill today.....and I will not throw one in the landfill again. I really am trying to pay attention to how much unnecessary waste I create, but sometimes I just forget.
How many cups do you throw in the landfill each year?
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15 comments:
You are lucky to have gotten the girl to let you take the photos you did. My daughter worked at Starbucks while in high school and taking pictures with in a Starbucks store was a no no. Even if you were taking pictures of your friends sitting at a table. She always hated to have to tell customers to stop taking photos.
I'm not a coffee drinker. But, do they need to be THAT wary of pictures> Geesh.
Now, when you go to the store start thinking about plastic and how you can reduce how much plastic you buy. We have started comparing products to try and purchase the one that contains the least plastic, if any. For, example, we only buy bar soap now instead of body wash because it doesn't come in plastic. I am getting that movie, Bag It, next week and will send it out to you. Good work Mother, I am proud of you!!
Oh, how funny! You are so good! Now, here's what I was wondering. Do they make the coffee right in your mug or do they make it in one of their cups and then pour it into your mug? I'd thought about taking my own mug, but I thought they'd probably still use their own cup to get the right amounts and then throw that away. That doesn't seem to be the case though... I might have to do the same! Hugs, Silke
Thanks for the prodding, Kathy. Everything counts. I always use a reusable bag at the grocery store, and have just recently brought them elsewhere. Matt's suggestion in his comment is a good one: really pay attention to packaging. BTW: You can't take pictures inside a Whole Foods, either. I found that out. :)
Good for you Kathy! I'm a big fan of reusable bags-- I even have them for my produce.
As for cups-- I buy disposable ones that are paper, not foam and are made from recycled paper. But we only use them when we have big groups of people at the house.
Keep up the good work!
jj
Lots of room for thought here . I personally wouldn,t want to tote a mug around because I don,t drive and my shopping weighs me down
Yep I use my own shopping bags , I have quite a selection of sizes .
Soap instead of Gel ? I,ve tried that. I like gel best . but I,m an old bird so I have my little foible,s .
I dread bluebell reading this she will be on my case , she uses soap and plastic is a dirty word with her,----cottonreel
Like you, I buy coffee at Starbucks only occasionally, but thanks for the reminder that the cups still add up in the landfills. We should all do everything we can to help!
Hmmm...I don't see the harm in taking pictures in these places.
Just another note on cups for coffee. My roommate was editor for a new movie, called, Bag It, a documentary about plastic and the effects of it. I watched it and it is amazing. Many 'paper' coffee cups are lined with plastic also and are then filled with a steaming hot liquid! Scary! So overall they are bad for your health and the environment. :)
This is an excellent post, Kathy.
The Target where I live gave resuable cloth bags out when they remodeled. They even use eco-friendly lighting now.
A friend of mine carries silverware in her purse and never uses the plastic cutlery some places hand out!
xoSherry
I like your son Matt's comments. Clever young man and serving a good example as a teacher.
This post gives me much food to thought and I thank you for that.
great photos even if they weren't quite what you wanted. i try to keep a mug with me in the car (mcdonald's used to charge only 25 cents for a cup of coffee if you brought your own cup) but i sometimes forget.
i'll do better.
I can't believe that whole picture-taking fiasco--wow! Good job on the latte.
I am doing better with the bags so now I have to start on the cups. I have been cutting down on Star Bucks though.
Kathy: Great post..I am a coffee fiend....I throw away too many cups...Now if I can stop that and stop drinking Mt.Dew..I shall have the world at my feet....
The Black Widow
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