It is undoubtedly good that everyone is talking about saving the planet today. As ideas about the environment have changed, many companies are rethinking many of their old purchasing practices and habits. Companies that don't care about anything other than saving money are looking for green products, even if they don't know it, because going green is now much cheaper than before. Let's take a look at one of the minor things that most companies still ignore: disposable coffee cups.
Disposable cups are purchased and used by two main types of businesses: restaurants and offices. In the case of fast food, there is no alternative. You can't expect a customer to return a cup of coffee; therefore, deliver the drink to something that should be discarded. Until someone finds a truly innovative solution, this is how fast foods work, so there will always be a market for disposable ground coffee cups.
In cafes or other similar restaurants, disposable cups are often a commodity. Unfortunately, the economy is probably wrong. While each purchase is certainly cheaper, paying repeatedly for the same product when it is not needed is expensive, as they could purchase reusable cups. Of course, someone should clean these glasses. Is it worth paying someone for it? Well, it would depend on many factors, including the actual cost of disposable coffee cups, if you use a machine with unused capacity, and how much you pay for your dishwashers. However, no one can say that this would not significantly reduce their waste generation.
As a courtesy, many offices, such as law firms and doctors, offer free ground coffee to visitors. In a way, it sounds like the dilemma of fast food. Do you expect your customers to bring their cups or provide disposable items? In the case of an office hall, however, the solution is a little simpler. As coffee is free, these offices have no financial interest in receiving or not receiving their customers. Ironically, removing disposable coffee cups and therefore taking steps to protect the environment would likely be considered rude by your customers.
Some offices that do not see many visitors still offer disposable cups. It is not only expensive, but it is also a waste. Modern offices, especially those where employees have their desks, can certainly expect employees to have their mugs, and if the company feels generous, they can still distribute coffee mugs with the logo from the company or whatever of interest their employees, In this case, cost savings would occur quickly, since disposable coffee cups are not used.
Graeme McDonald