The latest controversy sweeping the interwebs involves the color of a Starbucks coffee cup. While I personally have more important things to worry about, like the length of my kids’ toenails or the starving children in third world countries, apparently some folks like it when their panties bunch up over whether or not a publicly held company is properly celebrating a certain holiday six weeks in advance.
But, in all this muck we are losing site of a very REAL problem: every year, Starbucks uses more than 4 BILLION disposable cups.
4 BILLION.
Why are we up in arms over a stupid color or lack of design? Why aren’t we mad (at ourselves) for allowing the creation of so much waste? Think of all the trees knocked down and fossil fuels required for the creation of 4 BILLION cups. Why can’t the Facebook army start a hashtag along the lines of #quitusingdisposablecupsandstartbringingyourown?
Only 39 percent of Starbucks locations offer recycling, but because Starbucks cups are lined with plastic the cups have to go through an expensive process before becoming paper again. The company has publicly stated that it might never reach it’s recycling goals.
So, it rests on us, the consuming public, to cast our vote. Drink and enjoy Starbucks! Treat yourself to that half caf venti mocha soy latte. But, just do it with a reusable cup. Is that really so hard?
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