Why Am I So Obsessed With Reusable Coffee Cups?

The short answer: Because they represent a very simple solution with a big impact on our environment.

In a world where the climate crisis feels impossibly big and overwhelming, using a reusable cup feels like the smallest of gestures, a comforting one. While it's a small change, it makes a difference. This article is about that shift - how a simple cup became a reminder that small acts aren’t meaningless at all. They’re a starting point.

The Power of a Small Action

The scale of our climate issues can lead to paralysis. We feel guilt, helpless and think that our actions won't matter. The temperatures are rising, weather patterns are going crazy and our biodiversity is threatened. How could I possibly impact the future of sea-turtles?

So let's talk about the impact of reusable coffee cups and how you can actually have an impact on the future of sea-turtles. :)

Picture: Wexor Tmg, Unsplash

The environmental impact of to-go cups extends beyond waste generation. Most disposable cups are made from paper, plastic, or polystyrene. This involves energy consumption for extracting raw materials, manufacturing, and transporting the coffee cups. If the cup isn’t properly recycled, and most aren’t, it breaks down in landfills or, worse, escapes into waterways. Over time, sun, waves, and friction shred that plastic layer into tiny fragments: microplastics. Consider this:

Every disposable cup you have ever used is still around.

A paper coffee cup with a plastic lining can take up to 30 years to decompose, while a plastic or Styrofoam cup may take between 200 to 500 years, or even longer. Once those microplastics enter rivers and oceans, they move through the entire marine food chain. Sea turtles, in particular, are highly vulnerable. They often mistake floating plastic bits for food, tiny particles resemble jellyfish, algae, or other natural debris they normally eat.

So when we say something as small as a coffee cup can affect a sea turtle, it’s not a metaphor. It’s literally true: one everyday object, used for 10 minutes, can shed plastic particles that persist for decades and end up inside a creature that’s millions of years old.

How We Change Our Habits

This is why your reusable cup matters. Not because it “saves” a turtle on its own, but because multiplied across millions of people and millions of cups, small decisions shift the amount of waste entering ecosystems, and they remind us that even tiny choices shape the world in ways we don’t see.

Reducing the number of disposable coffee cups doesn't cost us much, doesn't require us to replace or buy costly items, and only involves a small change in our habits. But changing our habits is not easy, yet I think that this one is doable.

The habit we're focusing on: Bringing your own coffee mug to coffee shops.

There are different strategies to change a habit:

Make it Easy and Obvious: Keep a reusable coffee cup in your car, purse, or by the entrance next to your keys. Ensure it's noticeable when you pick up your purse, search for your wallet, or grab your keys, so you remember to take the mug with you. The fewer decisions required, the smoother the habit becomes. Make it cute and personal by choosing a coffee mug from your favourite coffee shop, designing one with a picture of your dog (here are some ideas on Etsy), or selecting one from your favourite brand.

Habit Stacking: Habit stacking means combining an existing habit with a new one to link them to each other. It adds no extra effort, just awareness. For example:

• After I pack my lunch for the day, I will put my reusable cup next to it.

• After I wash the dinner dishes, I will wash and set out my reusable cup for the morning.

  
  

Reduce Friction: We all default to what’s easiest. So reduce any little barrier that might make you skip the cup. When the sustainable choice becomes the low-effort choice, you do it more.

• Keep a backup cup at work.

• Store a collapsible cup in your handbag.

• Leave a clean cup drying on the counter so it’s always ready.

Swap Guilt for Curiosity (this is a ChatGPT recommendation, and I love this concept): If you forget your cup, don’t spiral into guilt. Just ask, “What made today different?” Maybe you rushed out, maybe the cup wasn’t visible, maybe you were tired. Curiosity keeps the habit alive; guilt shuts it down.

Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself: Every habit takes time to develop, and there's a moment when the novelty wears off. Expect it, plan for it, and keep going anyway. Sustainability isn’t about perfection; it’s about consistency over time.

What I love about this is that there's a ripple effect of one small and consistent action: One sustainable habit often opens the door for others in two ways: It makes you think about other choices and habits in your life that you might want to change. And you inspire others around you to also bring their own reusable coffee mug.

Make Your Coffee A Ritual

Besides bringing your own coffee cup, you could also create a new ritual: You drink your coffee at the coffee shop or at home. You carve out 10 minutes of your day and actually sit down to sip your coffee. This is not doable for everyone, for some the to-go cup is a must to tackle a crazy daily schedule. But if your schedule allows it, especially on weekends, take the time and make the coffee part of your ritual and more intentional living.

Hope Lives in the Small Things

Many of us, myself included, often feel overwhelmed by the dooming climate news. So, the next time you experience this feeling, I encourage you to think about the small actions that can have a big impact, like bringing your own mug to a coffee shop or taking the time to enjoy your coffee while sitting down. Together, we can take millions of coffee cups out of our environment. That's huge!