Coffee Cup Catastrophe

scleaver — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

If you’re like me, you drink a fair amount of coffee and throw the cups away without another thought. Well, according to Eat. Drink. Better. I should rethink my drink-and-toss practices: disposable coffee cups are responsible for taking more than 6.5 million trees each year, and in 2006, 16 billion (estimated) coffee cups were thrown away, creating 250 million-plus pounds of waste.

Starbucks has gotten a bad eco-rap lately (see the post In The Blue) and the international coffee Co hasn’t fully gotten behind this green issue either. In March, 2006, disposable cup with 10% postconsumer recycled fiber was introduced. But, 10% leaves lots of room for improvement, considering that Green Mountain Coffee uses cups made from cornstarches that are 100% renewable and Tully’s Coffee Corporation uses a compostable cup and collects used cups in stores to make sure they’re recycled or composted (from Eat. Drink. Better.).

Of course, the best way to avoid filling land fills with your used latte cups is to use a travel mug: ReusableBags.com has a BPA free, stainless steel model, and EcoProducts.com has a travel mug made entirely from corn. Whether you’re using recycled paper mugs or a corn-made travel version, bottoms up!

Photo from ReallyNatural.com.

The Day After: Thoughts on Fair Trade Coffee, Flowers, Organic Lingerie?

salbert — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

If a look is worth a thousand words, then the kiss from Architect Dave was the Encyclopedia Britannica. I was rendered speechless; and that, my friends, isn’t an easy thing to do.

The next day I went shopping in a very different way. I was inspired.

First things first; coffee. I admit that I’m an addict. So I decided as one of my first steps in going more ‘green’ was to change my morning cup o’ Joe into a statement. A statement I was hoping Architect Dave would share with me on, oh say, a Sunday morning? I found Green Mountain Coffee, where all their java is not only organic and fair trade, but they deliver! I love that.

I was also going to need some sassy new lingerie. I don’t even know if it’s possible to get sexy eco-friendly lingerie? Turns out the internet is a marvelous thing, in case you haven’t heard. I found this website, The Natural Store. It’s in the UK, but they deliver anywhere and it has the largest selection of “Eco Boudoir” goodies that I’ve seen anywhere. These are not your Granny’s panties. They’re truly sexy and fun! I order the Eco Boudoir 'Cheeky French Knicker’s' and the ‘Star Top’. Tres chic.

I think that I hope I’m not getting ahead of myself when the doorbell rings. On the other side of the door was the person every girl wants to see after a great first date, her mother. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. It was not my mother, thank God. On the other side of my door, ladies and gentlemen, take a recycled note, is a flower-delivery man. He was bearing a large and colorful bouquet of Winter Anemones and Calla Lilies.

Of course they come from an organic flower shop. I thought all flowers were organic. Turns out, that’s not the case. These flowers have never seen a pesticide or chemical in their fresh cut little lives.

Yay! There’s a note attached. I rip it open with the fervor of a PETA activist at a fur coat fashion show and it says, “Thanks for a lovely evening. If you like these flowers, I want to show you something even more beautiful. How’s Sunday? Bring your hiking shoes.”

Hiking shoes? My stomach sank into my feet. Feet that, mind you, have never seen hiking shoes. A hike to me is from my house to Barney’s Wearhouse Sale. In a car. With the air on.

Dave calls and I confirm our ‘hiking’ date for Sunday. While I am looking forward to seeing him, I have no idea how I’ll be on a hike. I might cry. If I do I hope he has recycled tissues.

Hey--did you miss the beginning of RiverWired's new Green Reality Series: Girls Gone Green? Come on, catch up. Check out Shari’s previous posts here.

green mountain coffee

Coffee Cup Catastrophe

The Day After: Thoughts on Fair Trade Coffee, Flowers, Organic Lingerie?