There is so much awesome green information available and I miss blogging about it. So because a greener lifestye is part of our lesbian household mantra (albeit slow to be fully adopted), I’m going to incoporate the topic into this blog. Each Wednesday, I’ll write about a green topic. Big, small, little, etc. And feel free to make a suggestion.
One of my favorite topics are travel mugs. Truth be told, I have too many and we’ve put a moratorium on any further purchases or acquisitions. We also have a slew of mismatched mugs and lids to address.
Americans use about 25 billion styrofoam cups and 58 billion paper coffee cups per year. BILLION. (h/t Earth911) We also order 500 million iced coffee drinks each year. And MOST of these items cannot be recycled.
Useful things to know about travel mugs:
- Stainless steel mugs (or double walled mugs) are often the most insulated. These typically cost more than $10, but have a much longer lifespan that the inexpensive plastic mugs. My “favorite” red travel mug from Starbucks (steel) keeps coffee warm for as long as ten hours. It also survived a big fall onto a concrete surface with only a scratch.
- Discounts. Many coffee houses offer a discount with your mug – typically, anywhere from $.10 to 10% and often just for coffee, not specialty drinks. I’ve been to coffee houses that charge me as little as $.90 (refill price) when I have my travel mug. I love that and it certainly keeps me coming back. Bonus: great way to make the larger investment in a stainless mug pay off …
- Handwash. The stainless and mixed material mugs (stainless with plastic parts) need to be handwashed. I put the lids on the top rack in the dishwasher. Here’s a tip for cleaning the mugs: You can make a paste of vinegar and baking soda and use an old toothbrush for stains. Just to freshen them, you can soak them over night with white vinegar and then just rinse them really well. (h/t Green Grandma Blog)
- Keep one with you. Put one in your car. At your office. Wherever it will be handy for you to grab and use. I keep one in my tote bag/purse (along with a water bottle) 90% of the time. I have three reliable mugs that I rotate and I slide one into a side pocket of my bag. It is great when we stop on a spur of the moment to get coffee. (See discounts.) It is not very green to use the gas to drive to get a mug, nor is it wise to keep buying more reusable mugs to fill your cupboards.
- Repurpose the mugs. When I realized how many mugs w/o lids we had, I went around the house and put them to new use as scoops. One went into the dog food, another into the cat food. A third is used for the winter salt. I have one in the basement for cat litter. The mugs are not recyclable, but I was able to recycle the existing plastic containers I had been using as scoops.
With regard to iced drinks, you can use a travel mug or a reusable plastic tumbler (we have a set that is dishwasher proof) with a lid and straw! I use my travel mug. I estimate I avoid using 4-8 cups per month (36+ annually) at the very minimum. Plus, lids, straws, sleeves, etc.
A few parting thoughts:
- Travel mugs make great gifts. I bought one for Ledcat with the Beatles’ image and it was fanciful enough that she remembers to use it.
- You can purchase reusable “sleeves” to avoid having to waste the cardboard versions available at the stores. I keep mine n my bag so even if I do have to use a disposable cup, I can reduce impact a bit. These are also adorable gifts (with a ceramic mug, very nice.)
Win these two mugs! - Finally, DO NOT let your pet chew on these mugs or lids. The pieces can splinter off and get lodged in their little throats and stomachs.
Do you use a travel mug? What does your favorite look like? How do you remember to use it? You can win one of two of your very own mugs from Pittsburgh based Crazy Mocha.
Contest begins on Weds Feb 20 and continues through 11:59 Tues Feb 26, 2013!
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@iheartpgh Thanks for the RT!
My favorite is a stainless steel mug with the “mad bluebird” on the side.
@JosephineDavis is he mad b/c the cup is empty? 🙂 thanks for commenting.
There is this Doctor Who mug, I love it, but I”m a dork 😛
@AnnamarieTittieMagee my favorite ceramic cup is a Big Bang Theory mug … thanks for commenting!
My favorite is the cool gear ones.
My favorite is a Starbuck’s stainless steel mug. I’ve had it forever, and it has been confiscated by my husband. Now I need one 🙂 I agree with you abut “going green” gradually. We started a few years ago and have made a lot of progress by just substituting or eliminating one thing at a time.
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com
@mbm218 I have a friend in starbucks mgmt who swore he would try to find me the “discontinued” mug somewhere … i’d love to hear abt your successes! Mugs and water bottles are big ones for us.
I have a green starbucks thermos with the words ‘coffee and God is life’ that my boyfriend gave me. I use it daily and I LOVE IT
@Jennipher_H Starbucks mugs do seem to be pretty high quality. HOw long have you had it? I’ve had my fav for nearly 3 years.
This one from Contigo (at Target) is my favorite: http://www.target.com/p/contigo-bella-coffee-tumbler-sky-blue/-/A-13872752#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink I can air lock it then shake it….but…it doesn’t fit under my Keurig. 🙁 First world problem, huh?
@lilburghers A common concern. When I bring my mug to certain restaurants with “self serve” coffee in giant dispensers – same problem.
My favorite travel mug is my pink breast cancer one.
@hennessyj5 Its a great way to green up cause marketing.
I have a coffee mug that I found at drugstore.com that I love. It’s turqoise and very easy to bring with me without leaks
@natalie nichols What kind of lip does it have? My least leaky mug has a screw on lid with a screw off top rather than a flip top.
Surprisingly enough, it’s a flip top lid but it snaps shut really tightly. Only gripe I have is that when I drink out of it, the flip up part gets coffee on my nose. Annoying
I love the red mug thank you for the giveaway
@Julie Thompson Thank you for entering. Yes, that mug is very good.
I have one that’s lasted for years, and it came from Dollar Tree 🙂
@Lisa Ehrman Does that store still carry it?
My favorite is a stainless steel mug that I got free a long time ago,it’s so wore out that the rubber bottom keeps coming off.
@kklane60 Stainless is the best. Ceramic mugs are good, too. But obviously more fragile.
I’d like one to use with a kerig.
@BrandyFisk This seems to be a perpetual complaint. The truth is that a travel mug often doesn’t work with most large “spouted” carafes. And I’ve noticed that some franchise coffeehouses will pout coffee into a disposable cup, then empty that into a mug to get an “exact” measurement. Ridiculous!
I do not know the brand. I got it from work and I love it!
@jaynep140 I’ve said repeatedly in other venues that a sturdy travel mug is a good employee gift.
i just want one that doesn’t leak!
@EmFreebies Excellent point. Nothing worse than a coffee explosion.
I would like one that will hold 2 cups of coffee lol
I have a purple one I use to drink my tea
xo
I like personalized mugs
I actually don’t own a travel mug so it would be nice to have one!
i have a pretty purple one
I love mugs that have tight seals and a cover for the drink hole.
mendyd15 at yahoo dot com
I have a Contigo vacuum seal mug that’s great for lugging around in my bag because it won’t spill (:
My favorite mug is a pink owl lol. I’d love a travel mug for on the go!
@Tiaragwin I have no many favorite mugs. We also have a moratorium on buying new mugs for home because we have soooo many.
I want a camera lens mug!!!!
@MeganMcGowanParsons What is that?
Mine always seem to get stolen in the morning, or are dirty. So my fave type of travel mug is the clean one!
@samjaxelin3 That’s a very practical preference! 🙂
I’d love a travel mug with a glass lining, though I haven’t ever seen one.
@lovelydomesticdiva What appeals to you about that type of mug?
my favorite is a pink one my husband got me from starbucks
@MarissaMaestas Gifts! One of my favorite everyday mugs was a gift.
Would love to win the mugs.
I have a stainless mug from Eight OClock coffee that I’ve used for years! I lost the cover a long time ago, so it’s more like a cup now! Grr!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
I would love to have a mug that is thin on the bottom and wider on the top so hopefully it won’t fall over in the cup holder in the car!!
I have a coffee mug from Bass Pro Shop, but it’s to large to fit in my cup holder in my truck. I normally drink coffee here, then when I get to work, I fill up my big cup.
ticsblog75@gmail.com
@ticsblog75 When I worked in an office, I had my own ceramic mug on my desk. Fitting a travel mug into a cup holder is a challenge – mine tend to topple over so I usually leave them in the bag. 🙁
I want to have an easy to carry, tough to break, and no fuss mug (if such a thing exists…)
@jyjcyful I think that’s a tough combination. Stainless is the sturdiest but it does require a bit of care since you can’t put it in the dishwasher.
My mugs keep leaking.
I like mugs that are fairly large, but still fit in my cup holder.
I have a walt disney world travel mug I use with all the characters on it, I am 50, love it.
i dont have one but i would like a blue one
I love my reusable coffee mug for on my way to work
I like personalized mugs
I love all kinds of coffee mugs, I drink coffee everyday. My fave is the one my husband got me with a mustache on it.