I am not a fan of coffee but I do enjoy drinking chai tea. I know it can be costly to purchase these drinks from large coffee chains so I have found one that I can make at home that is made by Oregon Chai. I found the chai concentrate at Super Target in the tea section. Oregon Chai offers several varieties of the chai that are organic, vegan and sugar free. It tastes great when you just add milk and heat or even if you prepare it as a cold treat.
Even though I will make the tea at home, I still enjoy going to the local Starbucks with a friend to just sit and relax. This is where I started to think, just like all the water bottles I was using, about all the cups that Starbucks goes through in a day. Not just paper cups but lids, paper sleeves, plastic cups, plastic lids, etc. When I started to think about the amount that one Starbucks goes through, let alone ALL of their stores...wow. This goes for any beverage or food chain that is giving you something in a disposable container.
I decided to purchase a reusable tumbler while I was there. It doesn't take much effort to wash it out and then I put it back in my car in case I stop for an impromptu drink. I found out that Starbucks also has a program called Shared Planet where they are helping to reduce their carbon footprint and you can sign up as a participant and reuse your mug or tumbler each time you get a drink at Starbucks. For each drink you purchase and use your own tumbler for Starbucks will give you a $0.10 discount.
Starbucks is currently researching to create a cup that is 100% recyclable but until that happens I will be sure to take my reusable tumbler with me.
