Attention Hot Drink Enthusiasts! What does your cup say about you?
Drinking COFFEE IS AN INCREDIBLY habitual experience, and there’s no denying New Zealand’s vibrant coffee culture. As a self-professed tea lover, switching to a hot cuppa joe was an easy transition once I got my hands on a flat white, with its frothy, luxurious milk, and welcomed warming effect on a cold rainy day in the heart of the CBD, laptop, and background noise to accompany my welcomed treat.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.Yes, we really value hot drinks in Aotearoa. It suits our lifestyle, our climate, and a needed reward in our routines. While we are all on board with that, how about a call to action? Let’s take it a step further and make our habit environmentally responsible.
We interviewed the local cafes, researched the coffee roasters in Taranaki, and we’ve tested the cups. Here are some tips when preparing for your indulgence.
Know Your Roasters
IncaFe, Escape, Proof and Stock, Ozone, Richard Harris, and Wildcat are our main local roasters in Taranaki. Look out for them and their cafés to support their efforts!
Find a coffee roaster that matches your values: are they organic? Where do the beans come from? What positive practices are employed in the production process?
Types of Cups
Not all coffees taste the same, and some of the most knowledgeable in the arts of coffee tasting would also say that not all cups of coffee will bring you the same experience either. Does the coffee taste different depending on where it is served? Here’s a list of the most popular serving options for have-here and takeaway cups. Read on and make your choice.
Usual café cup – enjoy your coffee and take time off by sitting and relaxing at your favourite café. The best about café servings is the art in the pour.
Ceramic - Try Frank Green for takeaways, these are colourful, durable, and recyclable at the end of their lifecycle (product stewardship is something else to consider before purchasing).
Stainless steel - these are similar to a thermos and can keep your beverage hot (or cold) the longest. They are also super durable and can wash easily in the dishwasher. We recommend the 4evercup for consumers as they are made locally in Taranaki and they do not require a sleeve.
Glass - With the least impact on taste when your beverage is poured steaming hot, this option is closely aligned with the original reusable cup consumer. Be careful, don’t drop it!
Clay and Stoneware - perhaps the most artistic and beautiful to the touch, these are a luxurious option. Also breakable and can be on the pricey side.
Plastic - These are also durable, and the lightest for commuters. They are least likely to break and can be tossed around the place haphazardly (for those who have kids). Some coffee gurus complain of a change in taste when the hot coffee is poured into this material. Just make sure it’s BPA-free. Don't put polycarbonate plastics in the microwave or dishwasher, because the heat may break them down over time and allow BPA to leach into foods.
Silicone - Have you seen the cups that collapse? These are great for commuters or if you need to make it a habit to remember. Just chuck one of these little guys in the bottom of your bag. Try Happy Kid Eco silicone collapsable cup.
Compostable takeaway cups – A temporary alternative to transition into being more sustainable, but only if properly disposed of. Most of these cups are commercially compostable, so they need a special collection point. Make sure to ask the café where you can bring the cup back. This still involves a lot of processes (production, transportation, storage) and not all cups end up being composted! Compostables in landfills can cause even bigger issues. Read our Takeaway Containers Explained article to understand more.
Is your favourite cup material missing from here? We’d love to hear from you. Email us.
Tips for choosing the right cup
Find a reusable cup that matches your lifestyle
Choose a reusable cup size that matches your choice of beverage. For instance, if you order an Americano, perhaps a size small KeepCup would work well. If you order a mocha, try something a little larger like Westcoast Stoneware.
Treat your cup like your reusable shopping bags. Have them in your car, your work bag, your office desk…. keep in mind: keys, phone, money, cup!
Are you Bringing it?
We interviewed Sue Nathan from Elixir and Dawn from Empire Tea & Coffee and this is what they had to say. In line with the Bring It! campaign, both café owners agree that reusable coffee cups are a great way for people to be more responsible about their coffee habits, and to avoid unnecessary single-use waste.
“There are more people bringing reusable cups, and the staff is now asking customers if they have brought their own cups when they order takeaways.”
To encourage more people to “Bring It” or to borrow a reusable takeaway cup, having reminders and asking customers if they have brought it reinforces a positive habit.
“It’s most effective when people remember their cup as part of their routine.”
Besides benefitting the environment, bringing your own cup also benefits the local businesses. Café owners are keen to see how the Bring It campaign will impact their costs in the next few months as customers continue to practice these positive habits.
“There is anticipated savings and decreasing stock of the cardboard cups.”
The motivation behind signing up for the Bring It campaign and to start using a cup-lending system like Again Again, where customers can borrow a takeaway cup for a refundable $3 deposit if they forget to bring their own, came mostly from caring for the environment and trying to do their little bit to be more sustainable. The cups are perceived to be a quality product made of stainless steel, which is easy to clean, and they also have good silicone lids.
“Why wouldn’t you? Council has made it so easy and affordable, and if the staff push it, then it all works out. Everyone benefits. “
What can the community do to support our local businesses in being more sustainable?
“If people are compassionate towards businesses that are trying to do the right thing, we could all work together towards a united vision of being environmentally conscious.”
Support our local cafes by bringing your own cup, applauding their efforts to be more sustainable, and continue getting your favourite coffee from businesses that share your values - that’s a great start.
Read more about the Bring It campaign and check out http://newplymouthnz.com/BringIt to find a list of cafes that are either offering a discount for bringing your own cup or are currently using Again Again cups. Look out for the Bring It posters in cafes around New Plymouth!
Read more about Single-use Abstinence and why it’s so important, and check out our article Takeaways Explained for a more detailed review of the different materials used in takeaways.
Look out for the Bring It posters!
By Brittany Ryan
