Essays by Eric Worrall
Should coffee be banned? After fighting hard to ban plastic coffee cups, Aussie green has realized that tackling plastic pollution with compostable cups can increase greenhouse gas emissions.
Why worry this state’s ban on plastic takeaway coffee cups could have unintended consequences
One state is implementing a nationwide ban on takeaway coffee cups, but waste reduction advocates say the plan may not have the desired effect.
- Western Australia’s takeaway coffee cup ban came into effect on 27 February.
- An estimated 1.84 billion disposable cups are used by Australians every year.
- Compostable coffee cups can still be sold but advocates say there is no infrastructure to properly dispose of these cups.
Western Australia is set to ban certain cups commonly used for takeaway coffee as part of the
Efforts to eliminate single-use plastic
.
From 27 February, the cups – also widely used in cafes across Australia – will be banned from sale in Western Australia.
While the majority of coffee cup bodies are made of cardboard, they are often lined with plastic so the liquid doesn’t make the cup soggy.
…
But waste reduction advocates are encouraging people to use reusable coffee cups where they can, as compostable alternatives may not be eco-friendly. as one would expect.
…
Of course, reusable food products aren’t as hygienic as disposables, so all these fears about the virus are more likely to be transmitted by accidentally touching the dispenser. drinks with contaminated reusable cups.
There is only one solution – reusable coffee cups will have to be made of silver. Silver has well-known anti-bacterial properties, and pose no significant environmental hazard or greenhouse gas threat. Of course, silver is a good conductor of heat, so they may need to wait for the coffee to cool before drinking it.
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