the sweet life » Reusable vs. Disposable

Reusable vs. Disposable

Apr-13 » Filed Under: Whatever » Posted by: Todd

I have a plastic coffee mug that I take with me whenever I go to the University coffee shop. Along with a $.25 cent discount I get that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that I'm helping the environment by not throwing away that paper cup. Lately it's been getting a bit grungy and I'm considering replacing it with a nice ceramic version that is microwave friendly as well. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, according to one study I might be doing more harm than good when I sip coffee from my reusable mug. The study's conclusion?

The lesson of this life-cycle energy analysis is that the choice between reusable and disposable cups doesn't matter much in its overall environmental impact. One should use one's best judgement.

Indeed, in situations where cups are likely to be lost or broken and thus have a short average lifetime, disposable cups are the preferred option.

The equalizing factor is the energy required to produce and clean the reusable cup. I still think I'll replace my old mug with a new one, but studies like this certainly make you think. Reminds me of the article I linked to a while back comparing the environmental impact of the Hummer vs. the Prius (FYI - I still want a Prius).

(link via kottke)


3 Comments

Karen said:

Check out the corn plastic mug. http://www.imorganic.com/index.php?cPath=8_12
It's compostable and biodegradable, and might be a good alternative to stainless steel or petroleum based plastic.

April 14, 2007 4:55 PM
Todd said:

Do you know if you can microwave these? I didn't see a yes/no answer on their site.

April 14, 2007 10:14 PM
Karen said:

It is microwaveable, but not dishwasher safe.

April 17, 2007 10:36 AM

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