It has been a long time since I first wrote about KeepCups. Way too long.
Back in November 2009, I wrote about this wonderful reusable coffee cup in the post titled My Coffee Guilt is Nearly Over. I was waxing lyrically about my guilt of using disposable coffee cups and the way I got around it by taking my own to work every day.
Fast forward to today, and I am sad to say that my first KeepCup bit the dust after five years of week day use. If I calculate correctly, I used that cup 1,320 times during its lifetime!
That is a lot of coffee, and it saved a lot of disposable cups from landfill, which is where the disposable ones inevitably end up. Just imagine if everyone used a reusable coffee cup, how much landfill we could avoid and resources we could save?
Here are a few fast facts about KeepCups and disposable coffee cups in general;
- There is enough plastic in 20 disposable cups and lids to make a small KeepCup.
- Over a year, use of a KeepCup reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 92% compared to disposable cups.
- Most disposable cups are lined with polyethylene which makes them non recyclable.
- Every minute over one million disposable cups are discarded to landfill.
Fascinating hey?
Once the lid split and the cup cracked, I placed it into the recycling bin so that it could live as something else.
So impressed was I with my old faithful, that replace it, I did. We bought one each, and for visitors when we go on trips.
They certainly have change in funkyness since I first bought my original plain white cup. The company is even making a glass cup with a cork band for a limited time only. Check out the KeepCup site for details. By the way, I am in no way affiliated with the company. I just like their product.
Anyway, I am very happy that Kim bought me a replacement. I dare it will last at least another five and a half years of solid use.
Oh, and I still get a 30 cent discount when I use it for my morning flat white at the Melton Railway Station Kiosk! A big thanks goes out to Kate for supporting reusable KeepCups in her kiosk.
Who has one of these? Do you use it often and do you like it?
Hi Gavin,
I have a Costa coffee keep cup that I use almost daily in Starbucks to get my 25p off my cappuccino for bringing my own cup – it gives me a small private kick to use one corporations gear to get something for less from another corporation; my own small rebellion. 🙂
Good for you CW! That 25p adds up over time.
I may have to change my coffee place, mine wont let me use my own cup – health regs apparently.
You sure will. I think that is a cop out, as I have never been refused a coffee in my KeepCup.
Martin and I have Cheeki coffee cups, a double walled stainless steel cup with a pop down plastic lid. I managed to badly scald my tongue on a cup of tea that I’d had sitting htere for over an hour once so I can attest to their effectiveness at keeping drinks hot. I use mine rarely but Martin has a cup of tea int he mornings before leaving for work and takes another in his cup from home which means he saves at least $2.50 per day I guess and often the teabag comes home in the cup so it goes in the compost. As we use certified organic fair trade teabags I feel bretty good about that cup of tea. 🙂 I work out that he saves over $650 per year too, at 5 days a week at $2.50 per day. 🙂
Even better than a keepcup Jessie! Making a cuppa before traveling is a great idea to save quite a bit of money.
Nice one, Gav! If you had 1320 cups, and saved 30c per cup, that’s a total of $396 saved just by bringing your own cup. Not a bad return on investment :-).
Cheers Darren! I never really looked at it like that, but you make a great point. That is quite a bit of savings over time. I wish more products could do the same.
That is a really good point! We don’t get discounts here (Perth), but some companies are very keen to point out they pay extra to buy BioCups. Silly really, when they just go to landfill. I hope more places catch on to the fact that taking our own cups saves them money – maybe it will be an incentive for more people. Sometimes I dream of owning a cafe and only selling takeaway coffee to people with reusable cups – everyone else would have to dine in or go without! : )
Hi Gavin, I have had my keep cup for 3 years now. It is medium in black with orange band and lid. I always take it with me just in case. I have never been refused a coffee in it. When I am on a road trip using this same cup gives me comfort, it’s familiar. I can’t believe that there are coffee shops who only use these cups for takeaway as well as having there. I avoid them. I have also seen people get takeaway cups and still sit in the coffee shop to drink it when they could have it in a real crockery! I don’t get it. It’s like drinking wine out of a plastic cup to me. Cheers.
Well done Annette! Good analogy. I still bugs me when shops serve up eat in meals with disposable cutlery. I see it all the time in food courts in the city.
I bought a plastic KeepCup two years ago when I did Plastic Free July for the first time. To be honest, I don’t have takeaway coffee very often, but I found it useful for using as a water cup, for wine at functions when they only have stupid plastic throwaway glasses or even as an impromptu container. In April I upgraded to the glass one and I love it. I don’t really like drinking out of plastic, so the glass one suits me better. The plastic one will do when we go travelling, or or visitors – I’m not getting rid of it!
After a while the plastic gets a bit of a funky smell to it. I ended up changing to the glass keepcup too. I much prefer it and I think it looks better too. (with the cork!)