Coffee to go - Coffee-to-bin

320 thousand cups per hour- this is the outcome of the ‘coffee-to-go’-trend. 320 thousand cups are consumed every hour in Germany. 320 thousand cups turn into useless rubbish when the consumers have emptied their hot drink. This does not only lead to tons of garbage, many resources are also wasted. The energy that is needed for the production of to-go-cups is similar to the energy supply for a small town.

Unnecessary packaging is not only a topic in the coffee industry. The discussion about plastic bags has also become popular during the last years. On average, the plastic bag ends up in the bin just after 25 minutes. How can we stop the problem?

Some supermarkets or shops have already reacted to the problem. They want money from the customer for every plastic bag. This has stopped many people from taking an unnecessary shopping bag for their purchase.

A new trend goes even further than that: In Berlin, a start-up has created a supermarket completely without packaging. It was only possible to realise the project because so many people thought it was a good idea. The founder of the supermarket collected their start capital with Crowdfunding. Many people supported the project with a little donation. Instead of money, the ‘crowd’ received some gifts in return, such as a voucher.  It worked out quite well. The supermarket is a successful project, which has already been copied by other cities.

Of course, a conscious way to deal with packaging does not have to be the foundation of a supermarket. One can also contribute to a more environmental-friendly society with little gestures. This can be to take your own returnable cup with you when you consume a coffee on the way. Alternatively, you can simply say ‘no’ to the next plastic bag one offers you at the till.

Judith Stein