# Is My Ceramic Mug the Only Green Solution to Coffee Drinking?

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/02/is-my-ceramic-mug-the-only-green-solution-to-coffee-drinking/
- Published: 2011-02-17T14:05:08-05:00
- Author: 

Look, we know that coffee is the world’s most commonly traded commodity after crude
oil, and tea is the world’s most consumed beverage after water.

As I have been writing my next book, _Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid_ at my local
coffee house, I too have wondered what the heck we can do to make our coffee drinking
a little more green than it was before.

**Is the Ceramic Mug the Only Way to be Eco-Friendly?**
 Now I have heard all the
debate about using ceramic cups: if you can reuse it 3-4,000 times, it is the most
eco-friendly [coffee](https://greenlivingguy.com/2024/09/cambio-roasters-sustainable-solutions-for-the-coffee-industry/)
cup choice. However, in the same article, I also read that if you reuse a paper 
cup 3 times, then that is the more eco-friendly option. Even the cheapest waxed 
cup is capable of holding 3 cups of coffee.

Similarly, a plastic cup used 5 times would also trump the ceramic cup. This is 
because of all the resources that go into making a ceramic mug…so if you aren’t 
going to reuse your mug 3,000 or more times, but could reuse your paper cup 3-5 
times, you can feel OK about paper, but then…

**Recycle:**
 For the majority of people that do not recycle at all, why not start
with the coffee cup and sleeve? It is an easy, difference-making place to start.

Given that we have a deforestation problem, and that methane is created by landfills,
we all need to recycle more.

**Here are Some Numbers to Ponder about Recycling**
 We would replace 544,000 trees
if every household replaced just ONE roll of toilet paper with 100 % recycled toilet
paper.

Imagine, just imagine recycling just two coffee cups and sleeves a week?

**How To Recycle The Paper Cup and Sleeve**
 When I recycle the coffee cup and sleeve,
I usually [bring it home and recycle](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/09/recycle-bowl-brings-competition-to-recycling-efforts/)
it in the paper/cardboard bin. The sleeve is mostly cardboard and my recycling guys
take it. They even are so stringent about recycling where I live that if they even
see a single cup in the trash can they will NOT take the trash. That is really cool
of them!

**How To Recycle The Plastic Lid**
 Another thing to remember is to remove the plastic
lid from the cup and recycle that in the plastic bin. Also. if you find that your
local area does not take the plastic lid then see if you have a store that WILL 
recycle the plastic lid. If not, I usually place it in the plastic bin and they 
take it anyway.

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