Sustainable coffee cups

(Artist/educator Outi Länsikunnas enjoys Alice’s Tea Cup)

We are mistaken if we think that we can sustain our ecosystems with the current consumption of paper cups. It is not so false to argue that we are heading towards environmental disaster with all the paper cups and plates. Price in paper has been going up, yet as simple as it sounds, recycled paper did not replace much of the ‘regular’ paper, which is used out there in making the cups. Radical innovations (with real thinking) requires replacing some old ecosystems with new ones. Then, creative economy means that idealistic visions are turned into everyday solutions. The everydayness of innovation comes with solutions to paper cups, for example. Putting high tea back on the menu with grandmother’s vintage porcelain, is an example of creative economy. Do you grab a coffee-cup with you each morning from your corner Starbucks or other coffee company? If your answer is yes, you should reconsider your everyday values. It sounds we all take papercups too easily on-the-go. An evident change would require actions.

A question is, why do not local coffee brands, such as Starbucks, go for alternative cups, a customer could also choose a china when sitting in their premises? Believe or not, Starbucks has initiated real coffee cups in its Asian markets. You can find real china in Hong Kong while enjoying your guilt-free soy latte. That is a right direction, and North American markets should follow.

Think again when your daily ‘design-items’ are white paper cups. One for tea, one for coffee, one for water, one for ice-water…You already noticed that there are too many ‘ones’ on the table. ‘Tea for two’ with real porcelain would now stand for the romantic teatime shared together, and it also reflects sustainable values and global responsibility!