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Green Journal - Bring Your Own Cup
May 7, 2007

I admit I am a caffeine addict, specifically coffee and tea. The smell and smooth taste of fresh brewed coffee or my favorite earl grey tea is what gets me through the morning chaos. I have a couple of great stainless steel cups that keeps my coffee warm, my hands from burning and my car free of spills. I know it’s a simple thing to do but in the morning rush, I often forget. Since the caffeine kick is what gets me through the early mornings, I just can’t bear to leave my spot in line because I forgot my own cup. I used to tell myself, ” It’s just one little cup with a small tiny cup holder and I am just one person in the sea of billions…” But then I realized this is the same rationalization that generates 200 million tons of waste EVERY DAY in the US alone.

My original action this week was to bring my own cup every day to my local café but in the spirit of my green journal, I am taking 2 complementary steps. First is to actually make my own tea at least two mornings a week. Okay, so I chose tea because it’s just quicker to brew than coffee but this is a big step for someone who holds great value in even two extra minutes of sleep in the morning. Also, in the last couple of years, the organic tea selections have grown exponentially so I am never in want of a good tea. Second is to bring a bottle of water with me so I won’t contribute to the one trillion plastic water bottles that end up in land fills every year. I really like the Sigg water bottles that are stainless steel and comes in great designs.

So what’s my tally this week?

Number of times forgotten – Once (no excuse other than plain forgetfulness)
Time consumed to act on this change – None. Although it takes me an extra 30 seconds to get my cup in the morning and extra 2 minutes to brew my tea, I also saved 10 minutes by not having to wait at the cafe.
Amount of resources spared – 5 paper cups and cup holders; 0.05 gallons of gas I saved from not going to the café; 2 one liter plastic bottles from not buying bottled water
Extra upfront cost - $0 since I already had everything I needed and in fact saved myself $3 from skipping 2 café trips.

Now I can take my $3 savings and replenish my tea supply for next week and of course, bringing them home with my own grocery bags (last week’s action)..

Copyright 2007 Organicpicks