A guide to daily essentials like cups and bags
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Daily Essentials: Cups and Bags
Being environmentally friendly can be difficult, especially if you don’t have the time to
research what the best way is to do it. Generally speaking, making small changes can
amount to large change and the change could start with your cup of coffee.
Here are a few items that you can buy that are reusable and beautiful. All items can be
bought from either Irish shops or suppliers.
Plastic Bags
Ah plastic bags. Those things that you end up getting at the check out because you forgot
your bag for life in the car. Does that happen to anyone else? I am notorious for it.
Reusing items is better than buying new ones.f you have any bags at home, use them. Even
draw-string bags that some shoe shops give out will do. They may not look very fancy but
they will do the job.
A friend of mine, who is meticulously organised, produced a foldable bag one day in a shop
while I was strategically trying to balance 10,000 items in my arms. The bag was thin enough
to put into your pocket and strong enough to hold 2 litres of milk and half a weeks shopping.
Here are a couple of reusable bags that are pretty and pretty handy to have:
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If you are looking for smaller bags:
Bags for your vegetables and fruit don't have to be boring:
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If you are looking for something that you can put on your back:
Coffee Cups
Don't be Dick, is a campaign currently being run by Dublin City County and Fingal County
Council. To avoid any confusion, please enjoy this video which will explain more.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peuuHJ8eXDM&w=806&h=436]
Irish people use more than 200 million disposable cups throughout the year. If built into a
pyramid, it would be taller than the Spire. There are many ways that you can cut your use of
disposable cups.
1. Drink less coffee
For many, this is not a practical option. It may lead to increased stress, irritability and
sleepiness. It may also lead to rude responses to idiotic workmates and snapping at your
3-year-old.
2. Buy a cup in your local coffee shop
Starbucks are now selling plastic versions of their iconic coffee cup. It is dishwasher friendly
and handy for coffee on the go. While the cup itself does not keep coffee warm for long, it
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does the job. They are made of plastic which is a bit worrisome but you keep reusing it. It is
still better than getting a new cup every time you get your coffee.
3. Buy a long-lasting coffee cup
If you are a serial coffee buyer, think about spending a bit of money on a reusable cup. There
are many of the market and every shop seems to have their own version on the run up to
Christmas.
Some people are a bit worried that they will be told that they will not be able to use their
reusable cup in any coffee shop. Coffee shops have really gotten on board with this idea and
some are even offering discounts to customers who use a reusable cup. So if you are anxious
about asking for your PSL to be put into your own up, don’t worry, the coffee shops are with
us on this one. And when you think about it, why wouldn’t they want to do it? It’s saving
them money in the long run too. So here are some of my favourites:
Keep Cup
These cups are so pretty and you can get one in an array of sizes and colours. The cup itself is
comfortable to carry around and is easy to handle even with gloves on. Some are made of
glass and cork and some are made of fully recyclable plastic. While they don’t keep your
coffee warm for long, they are suitable for your first cup of coffee in the morning before
heading into the office.
StoJo
These cups are my favourite. While other cups are beautifully created, they can be clunky and
their size can become a hindrance. S
toJo is the solution. These food grade silicone collapsible
cups are perfect for putting in your bag . Depending on the size that you buy, they collapse to
about 1 inch in thickness. I keep mine in my bag and squish it back up when I’m finished. But
what about the left over coffee? While you cannot collapse the cup when it still has liquid in
it, you can allow for a little liquid at the bottom and a tea bag (I’ve tried and it has worked). It’s
perfect for coffee on the go and takes up very little space.
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Kleen Kanteen
This is definitely on my Christmas list. Depending on how your morning is going, you can get
it in different sizes. It also comes in different colours. The difference between this and the
other cups is that it is vacuum insulated. This means it can keep your coffee hot for up to 6
hours. Handy right? They also come in stylish tumblers which are small enough to put into
your handbag or backpack. If anyone is wondering, this is the one I want:
or this one
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Bags and coffee mugs are two things that I use daily. Luckily there are many options to make
sure that I can still use these products while producing zero waste. What is your favourite
travel cup? How do you make sure that you don’t buy plastic bags at the till? I’d love to hear
your suggestions. Why not comment below?
If you are looking to buy more reusable items, why not check out my sustainable living series
for the best water bottles and l unchboxes?
Photo Credit: Guus Baggermans