Your Morning Coffee Could Help Save the Planet

No matter our age, the world is full of confusing things - but there’s one simple behavior I still can’t wrap my head around. Maybe you can help me understand.

Why aren’t we bringing our reusable cups to our favorite coffee shops?

I don’t mean literally no one, but it certainly feels that way. I have yet to see a single person walk out of a Dunkin’ or Starbucks with their own cup. What I do see is a steady stream of plastic - cups, lids, and often straws - leaving those shops by the hundreds every day.

My go-to is Starbucks. I don’t go daily, but when I’m out running errands or heading to a meeting, I’ll treat myself. And I always bring my reusable cup. Mine happens to be a Hydro Flask, but Stanleys and countless others work just as well. Let’s be honest: most of us own multiple reusable cups. So why aren’t we using them?

The climate is in crisis. We complain about rising temperatures, blame fossil fuel companies, and demand better sustainability policies - yet we continue to rely on single-use cups and straws. And yes, companies are trying to create “better” materials, including industrially compostable containers. But here’s the truth:

If it says industrially compostable and you toss it in the trash, it’s not composting - it’s just becoming more landfill. Compostable materials only break down in the very specific conditions of an industrial composting facility. Those conditions do not exist in your local landfill.

So, here’s the hard truth: we need to stop looking outward for someone else to blame and start looking at what we can each do ourselves. This isn’t about guilt - it’s about agency. And the good news is that our part isn’t heavy lifting. Small habits truly can shift the system.

Consider this:

According to cafely.com, there are more than 16,000 Starbucks locations in the United States, collectively selling over 5 million drinks every day. On average, a single store sells 600 cups a day.

Now imagine your local Starbucks - 600 cups leaving the store daily. What if even a fraction of those cups shifted from single-use waste to reusable containers?

And what if that same shift happened across communities nationwide?

It would matter. In fact, it would matter a lot!

And here’s the best part: the person who can start that shift is you. Bring your reusable cup. Walk in confidently - not quietly. Normalize what’s better. Let others see it. Talk about it. Post it. Small, visible actions help create new norms.

We don’t need to wait for new regulations to tell us plastic cups are a problem. We already know that. Now it’s time to align our behavior with our values. At the end of the day, real change starts with the choices we make hour by hour. We don’t have to be perfect, and we don’t need permission to do the right thing - we just need to begin.

When we replace disposable habits with intentional ones, we create ripples that spread far beyond our own routines. Every reusable cup, every mindful purchase, every quiet decision to do better adds up. And when an entire community chooses to act? That’s when culture shifts.

So, I’m asking: Are you in?

Show us your reusable cup at your favorite coffee shop. Share, tag @thecarbonemissionsproject, talk about it. This isn’t about giving up your coffee ritual - it’s about transforming it into something that supports a healthier future.

Learn more at www.thecarbonemissionsproject....

Get the book: https://www.thecarbonemissions...

About the Author: Kimberly Haidinger is the debut author of A Kid’s Guide to Climate Activism, the first book in The Climate Action Vocabulary Series, a nonfiction collection created to empower middle-grade readers with the language and tools to change the world. When she’s not writing or working on her next book, Kimberly shares ideas for climate-friendly living on her blog, The Carbon Emissions Project.

References:

Brooke. (2024, March 1). 11 Fascinating Starbucks Statistics & Facts to know in 2025. Corner Coffee Store. https://cornercoffeestore.com/starbucks-statistics/

Number of Starbucks in the US & other statistics [2025]. (n.d.). https://cafely.com/blogs/resea...