Take A Mug To Work - don't use plastic
The UK produces 420 million tonnes of waste every year – enough to fill the Albert Hall in London every hour. Most of our household rubbish is disposed of in landfill sites, but this is set to change – new EU laws mean that if we don’t drastically reduce the amount we produce or recycle much more, we may need dozens of new incinerators.
Often, because it is more ‘convenient’, our work settings invite us to use disposable products – plastic cups for example. Resist the convenience! Embrace the environment! Avoid using disposable items whenever possible take a mug to work. Spread the word!
And if you’re feeling particularly generous take another mug in for a colleague.
Join the fray by signing in.
13 Sep 2005
I’ve now finally got an office base, so I can take my mug in. I think the tea tastes better!
30 Sep 2005
Our company has just started charging us for coffee in plastic cups out of the machines, because of this a load of us are now bringing in flasks of hot water and we take it in turns to buy our own coffee/milk etc works out at some 10p cheaper than the company ones per cup and we get a reasonable tasting cup as well.
Naturally I am doing my best to ensure my coffee is Fair Trade.
Edinburgh, GB , 30 Sep 2005
I’ve just signed up for this but it’s a bit of a cheat because I’ve been doing it for years! I bought a number of plastic cups from Lakeland for a party a few years ago and have been using various of these at work rather than taking plastic cups. Admittedly at my new work there’s a water cooler but no cups so obviously someone else is committed to this too!!! And we don’t have a coffee machine so I’ve always had a ‘work mug’ :o)
Stroud, GB , 30 Sep 2005
I work from home too…but Luci plans to take a mug in to work tomorrow. Apparently this will involve some nifty juggling as she removes the disposable cup that drops out of the water cooler (I did check..they get fed in at the top, so it’s not going to be a negative action) and pops hers in…so she may be damp, but at least she’ll be generous ;-)
Godalming, GB , 17 Oct 2005
I have taken a mug to work, although there are plenty there already and we use a kettle anyway, so no vending machine cups. However, we do have a water dispenser, and we do need to drink copious amounts of water at work due to its unfavourable microclimate. I make sure I use a glass for this and not one of the plastic cups provided.
30 Oct 2005
I actually take my mug to college and encourage others to do so too. We have a kettle in our classroom and the tutor now supply fairtraid coffee instead certain other non-ethical brands. Most of the machines also use paper cups rather than plastic ones and we have paper recyle bins for them too.
New Malden, GB , 31 Oct 2005
I have a mug for tea and hot drinks, and a bottle for water which I fill up from the water dispenser in my office.
Letchworth, GB , 02 Nov 2005
OK, so my work (in fact college) doesn’t have plastic cups, but I’ve re-interpreted it. This is something that’s bothered me for ages – and I think its about time I went on an anti-plastic cup crusade. My plan is to avoid cafes/places which sell coffee which give out plastic cups, and to take my own in a flask on trains.
14 Nov 2005
Just started doing this.
30 Nov 2005
We’ve always done this – not difficult for me, we’re a small business with a kettle.
GB , 14 Dec 2005
we have a hot / cold water dispenser at work; the office rule is we are not allowed to use the provided plastic cups but visitors are.
On the downside the water has to be delivered by van; but there is no nearby drinking water supply.
03 Jan 2006
My place of work has just installed a water cooler. Whilst I was happy with tap water the cooled stuff is lovely! I am, however concerned about the long packets of plastic cups that have come with it and plan to use just one or bring my own glass. Am deciding how to convert all my colleagues now…a good project with which to start with ’ A year of…. ‘
10 Jan 2006
the children have water coolers in school and refill their flasks if they need to.We usually take our own cups out in the car so we can buy lemonade/juice etc in a big bottle to share.
Newark, GB , 18 Jan 2006
Any ideas what to do about travelling on public transport? I’m not usually in enough time at the station (changing trains) to be able to get a china mug & sit in the cafe. Don’t want to miss out on my cuppa but equally don’t want to take a plastic disposable one. I’ve thought of taking a Thermos, but already have quite a bit of stuff to carry with me. Do you think it would be OK to take my insulated mug (with cover) and ask them to make the tea in that? Then there isn’t the Health & Safey excuse of getting burnt/pouring it on someone else cos my mug has a lid!
Reading, GB , 12 Feb 2006
Daisy I’d love to know how you get on with that. The obvious thing is to take insulated mug with lid and they should be able to fill it with approp vol of fluid. Perhaps if you had a branded one fromyour favourite coffe house? I’ve a Starbucks cup which was recommended by a friend and reckon if you were going into Starbucks it should be ok. Perhaps you could write to the head office/manager if you always use the same place and ask them about it?
Nashville, Tennessee, US , 15 Feb 2006
I gave Matt an insulated mug for Valentines Day to use for his near-sacred weekend post-run trips to Starbucks… will save at least 2 paper cups a week, not a lot, but better than none at all. And bringing your own mug to Starbucks gets a 10 cent discount. He also issued everyone a ceramic mug at his office and buys no disposable cups. same for the school i work in – we all bring our own mugs.
Reading, GB , 23 Feb 2006
Starbucks in the UK will give a 10pence discount to customers who bring an insulated travel mug, regardless of whether it’s one of theirs. Perhaps we should all write to companies encouraging them to let customers use their own mugs?
20 Mar 2006
In an effort to save moeny and cardboard coffee cups, we’ve stopped going out every morning for lattes. The cost was enormous. Before we stopped going out for the coffee, we did purchase plastic travel coffee cups in the small size of our usual drinks (a “short” – 8 oz. latte). So now we have coffee at home in the morning and if we do treat ourselves to the coffee elsewhere we take the reusable cups.
06 Apr 2006
Tea tastes so much better in a china cup
AF , 15 Apr 2006
A school in Oxford found it was cheaper to give staff coffee made a person with a hot water boiler than it was to invest in a rented vending machine.
The person made filter coffee and pots of tea at break times (3 times a day), washed up cups and laid out biscuits in the staff room.
Yes proper cups with saucers.
05 May 2006
ive been thinking about this one and im going to do it, as my job means i move around i will pack the mug in my bag then i am ready for wheni i go to work.
Plaistow, GB , 11 May 2006
I’ve always used a mug at work, but at my current workplace there are no washing-up facilities, so it’s difficult.Instead, I use a bottle of water which I refill daily.
Hull, GB , 21 Jun 2006
We are all for this
28 Jun 2006
Well kinda cheated I already do this as I like a bit of home comfort at work and prefer my own mug. I also thought I might get a thermos mug and ask the cafe’s to fill that if i do ever buy a coffee on the go they might think I’m strange but hey who cares.
29 Jun 2006
Actually, I just joined this community today… So I browsed to see what I’ve already done, or am doing, as I prefer to think of these acts as never-ending… Anyway, I already do this, but when I started a new job in late April, I noticed my boss never used a reusable mug—so I insisted! And he did, and he does, and he’s not allowed coffee unless he has his reusable mug.
22 Aug 2006
We don’t use plastic cups at work but I have been making my hubby take a thermos mug with him each morning to fill with coffee at the garage rather than using their paper cups. I also took my thermos mug to the farmers market last week where I asked the ‘fairtraid, organic’ coffee man to fill me up rather than using paper cups again. I also use a tiffin tin when I go to my local deli, rather than getting them to use lots of paper bags and tubs for my sliced meats and cheeses maybe people could try doing that too? I do get some odd looks but they know me in there now and they said it’s a great idea.
22 Aug 2006
We don’t use plastic cups at work but I have been making my hubby take a thermos mug with him each morning to fill with coffee at the garage rather than using their paper cups. I also took my thermos mug to the farmers market last week where I asked the ‘fairtraid, organic’ coffee man to fill me up rather than using paper cups again. I also use a tiffin tin when I go to my local deli, rather than getting them to use lots of paper bags and tubs for my sliced meats and cheeses maybe people could try doing that too? I do get some odd looks but they know me in there now and they said it’s a great idea.
AF , 22 Aug 2006
I’ve been doing this for a while and generally it is working well. The only problem is that I have a bad memory and keep forgetting to take my mug down to lunch with me and having to do a run up and down the stairs. Suppose it is good for the fitness!
Brighton, GB , 04 Sep 2006
A friend of mine suggested we start taking mugs to church for our post-service cuppa which we did for the very first time yesterday! It’s a big church and we’ve asked them to use biodegradable paper cups instead of polystyrene, but as yet to no avail. So we’re doing a visible ‘be the change you want to see’ thing with our own mugs!
16 Sep 2006
Already have taken a mug to work, tea tastes so much better! read the idea of taking an insulated mug to drink to work, good idea. Also love the idea of taking my mug to church, excellent idea, any ideas how to approach my church about it???? My old church used to do that….....
Egham, GB , 10 Oct 2006
When we have training at work we are meant to use the disposable cups as they’re easier to clear away at the end of the day. I keep annoying people by swapping them over to proper mugs.
10 Oct 2006
I work on a Reception desk so rarely get to drink a cup of tea before it’s cold, however a fantastic solution (thought of by my colleague – I can’t take credit for this) has been ‘thermal’ cups! Not only are they most definately re-usable and keep the tea warm for hours rather than minutes, but the slide-shut lids prevent any unwanted coughs and splutters from entering my brew!
Bristol, GB , 19 Oct 2006
A bit of a cheat as I’ve done this for a while – even though it’s a pain as we have no kitchen facilities at work and have to wash our mugs in the sink in the loos!!
Plymouth, GB , 24 Oct 2006
I have done this for years too. However, when we used plastic cups at youth club we always washed and reused them!
02 Nov 2006
I found this site because of this issue, i’m doing my dissertation on “How Contemporary Crafts Can Help Stop a ‘Throw Away Nation’” and the disposable cup vs ceramic mugs is my case study, my sort of theory is based on sentiment and how people build up relationships with the objects that they use and that this should be utilised to change the social veiw of how we consume. I definately practise what i preach but i think businesses need to set up more inishutives and make it their resposability! Well done everyone for doing your thing and making a difference!
cambridge, GB , 17 Nov 2006
We all use china mugs at work, they did try to introduce disposable plastic cups but nobody liked them. After lots of pressure from people who like bottled water they have installed a water cooler and filter. It seems immoral to me when we have got perfectly good tap water to waste resources on this machine, when many people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water. Also there is the question of throw away plastic cups. I have decided to use a glass and tap water, quite good enough for me, when it’s hot I just put a jug of water in the fridge. The discarded plastic cups make good pots for seedlings, at least they get used twice.
25 Nov 2006
Fantastic news about Starbucks, Lucrezia… Anyone had any success with other companies? For anyone thinking of investing in a thermal mug: if, like us, you don’t like the taste of the plastic rim, there are some out there that are all stainless steel (ours are from ikea and have a plastic handle and lid, but you don’t need to drink thru the lid!). If you want one that seals (like a flask) you need a camping shop. Don’t be put off by plastic rims!
25 Nov 2006
re. church: Hollytree and Angelfish, go for it! Our congregation each provided a mug for themselves and another for a visitor. Now we need a bigger cupboard, and have to buy coffee more often, but hey, it’s worth it. Your vicar/coffee organising person will love the idea AS LONG AS YOU OFFER TO DO ALL THE WASHING UP….and wash the tea towels…and buy the washing up liquid, and keep the cupboard tidy…Church leaders are quite human really, and generally in favour of going green if it isn’t going to add up to another job for the same old crew…
Toronto, CA , 01 Dec 2006
As a stage manager, it is part of my duties to make sure everyone in our acting company gets a properly labelled mug for their use throughout rehearsals and performances (is theatre fuelled by coffee and tea? You decide) and, yes, it often falls within my duties as well to make sure each properly labelled mug is also properly washed after each day’s work! But it makes me feel better that we aren’t disposing twenty styrofoam cups each day. Just need now to address in the larger theatres (with three or four plays happening in rep in one theatre) how to solve the disposable water cup situation without asking stage managers to be responsible for washing fifty plastic water cups after each performance.
Banchory, GB , 08 Feb 2007
We all have proper mugs at work, but I’m fighting a losing battle to get people to use a glass at the water cooler – despite the fact that I’ve even brought several in for people to use. I’ll carry on having my water in a glass, and hope to shame them into it eventually!!
Stockholm, SE , 12 Feb 2007
I take a night class twice a week in Sustainability. I was shocked to see plastic cups next to the orange juice they provide on break… Will definitely be bringing a cup from home.
20 Aug 2008
I’ve done this for several years, it is worth it just for the better taste.
More recently my employer, after a suggestion from one of my colleagues, has started providing company branded mugs. Each night any mugs on desks are collected, washed and returned to the kitchens ready to be reused the following morning. Works great in a large office, but I can see it working in small offices as well.
As for water, I’ve never found the dinky plastic cups that go with water coolers enough – I’ve generally emptied the cup by the time I get back to my desk. Problem is solved with a pint glass. Great for staying hydrated.