A nice short article on one simple way to help reduce the Everest-mountains of single-use coffee cups (be they plastic or cardboard) we throw away every day.

Its the Italian way:

The fundamental difference lies in the consumption model. In an Italian bar, you do not take your coffee with you. Instead, the barista prepares your espresso or cappuccino and serves it in a real cup made of porcelain or glass. You stir in your sugar with a little spoon, eat your pastry, pay, and eventually leave. The entire process takes no longer than the wait at a North American chain. If you have a moment to spare, you can take your coffee on a small tray to a table as you look through the daily newspapers.

When you’re finished, you leave your cup and spoon on the counter. The barista pops them into a high-pressure dishwasher that sanitizes everything with heat in just a few seconds. Then the cycle begins again. This system eliminates the use of disposable containers while fostering a sense of community. Most people have a regular bar they visit every day. You become a familiar face and, after a few visits, the barista greets you with, “The usual?” 

Some bars have started offering syrups to keep up with modern trends, but most regulars view those additions with the same suspicion they reserve for pineapple on pizza.

Visiting a bar is a small moment of peace before work or a fixed ritual at the end of a lunch break. It is fast, efficient, and uncomplicated, but it does not require you to carry a cup as you rush to your next meeting. It is an act of intentional slowing down.

Read the full post here: Better than to-go: How Italy avoided the coffee cup waste crisis before it even started

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