Vancouver Considers Bylaw on Paper Cups
Related entries in Coffee Opinion, StarbucksVancouver may be one step closer to a bylaw to prevent paper cups from piling up in landfills.
A Vision Vancouver councillor is trying to solve the issue, whether it be with a tax on paper cups, or with a bylaw to have recycling bins prominently inside coffee shops. Toronto is considering a tax, starting December 1st, on disposable cups to encourage customers to bring their own mugs. While Vancouver has no green tax in the works, people are pushing for a Green change.
Starbucks alone uses more than 1.5 billion cups per year, and the plastic lining of the cups prevents them from being recyclable (in most cases). And while 10% of the cups are made from recycled material (saving 5 million pounds of tree fiber), well, that’s just not really good enough.
Personally, there are a lot of little changes I’d like to see Vancouver coffee shops adopt – changes that have a big impact overall:
- Have paper cups that can be recycled
- Have a sugar dispenser, instead of sugar packets
- Have spoons, instead of wooden stir sticks (although many are compostable, they are still wasteful)
- Offer a discount for your own travel mug (most do)
- Teach recycling – have a sign that lists what materials can be recycled near your bin (Tim Horton’s recently started this as a pilot project)
- Choosing biodegradable coffee cup lids
In addition, for those companies who want to go the extra mile to becoming more environmentally friendly, these options can help:
- Recycling used coffee grinds, or offering them free to customers for gardening
- Use biodegradable products for take-out packaging
- Going green in other ways – in materials bought, lighting used, etc
If you are taking steps in your cafe to be green, let your customers know. Giving them the option is just one more reason to shop with you, and educating them goes a long way toward creating positive recycling habits.
If you own a cafe in Vancouver, or work at one, and have been taking steps to go Green, I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a line or leave a comment here.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am
This is a great post, Arieanna. One thing that the UBC student-run coffee shop has done is not a green tax but a green incentive (which in reality works as a tax). If you bring your mug in, they give you 15 cents discounts.
With the rise again of stainless coffee mugs and how well designed are laptop bags and other bags now, there is no excuse not to bring your own mug. Before, we could have said “oh I can’t bring a mug as I have my laptop bag” but newer models of laptop bags DO have a special coffee mug receptacle.
One additional element I’d be curious about would be the recycling of grey water as well. Energy is an under-estimated element of coffee shops, particularly if you think about how many people keep their laptops connected to the power supply ALL THE TIME.
Finally, I will be very happy when your suggestions are taken. Like the sugar dispenser. Why have individual packets of sugar if you can have a full bottle? Great ideas, Arieanna!
September 16th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Thanks Raul. I think the 15 cent discount is great, since that’s higher than most discounts.
What I’d like to see is more signage when these discounts are available, or to see them extend to china coffee cups for in-store drinking as well. That way people are reminded that there’s a better option.
September 16th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
The simplest way to start improving on this would be to have the staff actually ask whether you want take away or not! So many cafe’s don’t bother and just use a paper cup and a bloody plastic lid.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Yeah Starbucks is really bad like that. (Putting aside the unfortunate fact that I do sometimes find myself drinking Starbucks when there’s no other option) sometimes when I ask for a mug, the cashier is actually taken aback for a moment, as though it’s strange to NOT use a paper cup, even when having your coffee to stay.
September 20th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
It is very disappointing how little the average coffee shop does in the interest of sustainability.
I work for Agro Cafe which is located on Granville island and in Yaletown and we have in place all the measures you mentioned and a lot more.
Not only is all our takeout supplies biodegradable but zero waste is created when you enjoy a coffee in-house as our coffee is shipped and stored in reusable bags from roast to brew. And our partnership with UBC Farm allows us to compost all our coffee grounds.
Another idea which we’ve started is getting customers to refill the pound and Half-pound retail bags and receive a 10% discount. Since you save the cost of the bag it’s win-win.
Personally I think the government needs to step in and put some strong incentives on the industry to smarten up!
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 am
Great points Jeff. I know that where I buy tea, I have a tin I can take back and re-fill. Takes the bag entirely out of the process. Maybe they could do that with coffee too?
October 6th, 2008 at 2:10 am
[...] Arieanna wrote a post about implementing more ecologically-friendly measures in coffee shops. I actually was very happy that she touched on this topic, as I used to consume a lot of coffee [...]
October 6th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
And the incessant water use at Starbucks…?
Linkname: Starbucks under fire for wasting water with always-running taps
URL:
http://starbucksgossip.typepad.com/_/2008/10/starbucks-under.html
October 6th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
[...] Vancouver considers greening up coffee [...]
October 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
re: “And the incessant water use at Starbucks…?”
This is too far. It’s *water* my friend, we’re made of it, we’re surrounded by it, and I can hear it falling from the sky right now as I type. We’re not running out.
If you’re interested in the politics of water, don’t start with Starbucks. Think of how many water filtration and septic systems could have been implemented in 3rd world countries with the trillions of *tax* dollars that our first world countries just handed to bank executives.
Even if you set an example for us by boiling sand and using that in your coffee instead of water, inevitably someone out there who’s “greener” than even you wouldn’t hesitate to start a “Save The Sand Foundation”
Anyway, my point is if you’re honestly interested in saving the earth/environment/mankind; don’t fret over water use at Starbucks. Learn how credit default swaps work. It’s scary, and there are 45 trillion dollars worth of them lurking about silently out there, which is more than the G7 finance ministers could ever “bail out”
If you can solve that problem, I will merrily drink my coffee (sand-based or not) out of whatever cup you want me to, and ride a solar powered unicorn to work.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I don’t know the chemical composition of the Starbucks cups, but I can tell you that in the seven years I worked for them we were told it was fine to put them in the organics recycling, ie 100% biodegradeable. Many of those cups are not lined with plastic, but with wax or other substances. And it is (or was, when I was there) Starbucks standard procedure to ask “for here or to go” although over 80% was to go, in a new paper cup.
I have a stainless steel Nissan mug that I bought perhaps 15 years ago which will never wear out, and that’s what I use.
October 31st, 2008 at 12:01 am
Great points Jeff. I know that where I buy tea, I have a tin I can take back and re-fill. Takes the bag entirely out of the process. Maybe they could do that with coffee too?
November 1st, 2008 at 8:35 am
It is always interesting to go in a coffee shop where we take coffee for getting refreshment. it is alway seen that people don’t follow the instruction which is necessory in order to keep coffee shop neat and clean. To get this aim fulfilled coffee shop owner keeps recycling bin and paper cup in any corner of the shop.
November 28th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
hmhmhm…yummie
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:43 am
it is better if all those who drinks coffee like me in starbucks should have their own cup especially if it is to go..
February 15th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Well Starbucks coffee is already expensive wouldn’t it be too much if they will put tax on the cup being used?
February 17th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I don’t get the attraction to starbuks coffee! it is always bitter tasteing and you can buy genuine Kopi Luwak coffee and brew it at home for less than a starbucks mocha! Expresso beans are the cheapest beans to purchase, and how long have they been sitting around before they were used. I say buy online and get fresh roasted beans with no bitter aftertaste everytime!
February 17th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
i love starbucks coffee but i hate how much it cost. its like wasting money for a piece of cup.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:21 am
Thanks for sharing the post, this is great.
March 10th, 2009 at 7:24 am
If you’re interested in the politics of water, don’t start with Starbucks. Think of how many water filtration and septic systems could have been implemented in 3rd world countries with the trillions of *tax* dollars that our first world countries just handed to bank executives
April 12th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
emhh…i coffee maniac
nice posting
April 24th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
i think paper cups is better because it can be recycled easily!
April 26th, 2009 at 1:02 am
you are correct. And they should also replace plastic bags to paper bags in supermarket.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Some great points. A big difference could be made by simply ensuring all paper cups are recycled properly and not thrown in the trash with all the rest of the rubbish. If they are seperated then they are easily compostable or recycleable, it is simply a matter of sorting.
In this sense, i don’t think paper cups are a bad thing providing the waste is dealt with ethically.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
I don’t know the chemical composition of the Starbucks cups, but I can tell you that in the seven years I worked for them we were told it was fine to put them in the organics recycling, ie 100% biodegradeable. Many of those cups are not lined with plastic, but with wax or other substances.
April 30th, 2010 at 12:14 am
It’s great to hear from you and see what you’ve been up to. I’ve loved everything in your blog, Thank you for sharing!
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