by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
A lonely paper cup filled with the final drops of the day's coffee meandered down the street. Upon completion of its caffeinated contents this cup would find its way to the dumpster, among thousands of its other disposable comrades. All of a sudden, out jumped the Paperless Cup, mugging the disposable impostor and consequently relieving it of its coffee carrying duties. Disguised as a standard coffee-shop beverage holder, the Paperless Cup disturbed not a drop of foam from its nearby cappuccinos nor stirred a dash of milk in its fellow lattes. Secretly a cousin to the ceramic mug, the Paperless Cup infiltrated the local cafes, seamlessly blending in with the crowd.
This reusable cup camouflages in to the sea of coffee shop cups without generating any waste!
Well, this is the hype about this reusable ceramic coffee shop cup.
Make the GREEN choice and an eco-chic statement – they say – with a hand-crafted vessel that will keep your coffee or tea warm. This is a reusable ceramic alternative to the standard paper cup. Each cup is unique, but measures approximately 5.5" tall, with a 3.5" diameter. Holds roughly 10 oz and will fit in most car beverage holders.
The base of the cup and the basic lid form are thrown by hand on a pottery wheel. In the leather-hard stage, both pieces are trimmed and the lid is meticulously sculpted. The lid nests inside the cup, helping insulate the beverage within. Note: Lid must be removed before drinking from cup.
Have you been mugged!?!
First of all this ceramic cup is a take off of the “I am not a paper cup” ceramic cup that has been about now for a while.
“I am Not a Paper Cup” is a reusable, double walled, thermal ceramic mug with a resealable silicon lid that will keep your coffee safe, and reduce your need for paper cups, which only end up being thrown away, as they cannot, despite beliefs to the contrary, be recycled.
This product was originally produced by DCI, Decor Craft Inc., in the USA, and now someone else has muscled in on this, namely Magpie Ceramics with their shop on etsy though at a much higher price, claiming it to be “hand-crafted” ... Oops!
In this case you cannot drink from the lid as it is, unlike with “I am not a Paper Cup” where one could ... this is entirely stupid and more than just a gimmick. Also, who in their right mind would want to carry a heavy ceramic mug. Then why not a travel mug or better still, a keep cup ...
In all honesty, the claims about paper even by DCI are rather outrageous as it is misleading the public. While we may, or may not, as the case may be, require a forest the size of Wales to provide all of the paper we use in Britain neither of this comes from the Rainforests or from virgin resources. All wood for paper pulp in Britain and Europe in general is grown in commercial forestry operation which are rigorously replanted after cutting. Much of the wood for paper production, in fact, comes from forest thinnings. The average family, the state, uses 6 trees worth of paper a year.
Paper and cardboard, as long as no laminates are used, as in the case of paper cups, for the lining is a plastic material, which, possibly, could contain BPA. Such cups cannot be recycled and like their expanded polystyrene, aka Styrofoam, cousins should, ideally, not be used.
A much better alternative is the Keep Cup made from plastic which is, at the end of its life, recyclable as well. This cup is light and user-friendly, unbreakable – basically – and pleasing, in my opinion, too.
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