Reusable Mugs: an investment in the future

On average, Americans throw away 25 billion styrofoam coffee cups every year. Considering styrofoam cannot be completely recycled, most of it disposed of today will still be found in landfills 500 years from now! Don't jump to any conclusions though, paper cups aren't much better. According to Starbucks Global Social Impact Report, close to 4 million to-go cups end up in landfills annually. Why not recycle or compost them? Unfortunately, most paper cups, like Starbucks, are lined with plastic making them unable to be recycled or composted.

Rensselaer Dining Services has taken matters into their own hands by gifting a reusable mug to all students that sign up for a dining plan. These reusable mugs are made of BPA-free recyclable plastic and are manufactured in the USA. Not to mention, they are also microwave and dishwasher safe. To incentivize student use, Rensselaer Dining Services has offered $1.25 coffee refills when using the mug-- even cheaper than a small cup of coffee. Though there are no formal statistics reporting how many students actually use these mugs, as a member of the RPI community I see many students each day carrying their mug to the retail cafes on campus to fill-up on coffee before class. 

Diminishing styrofoam and paper waste is a colossal challenge that demands the attention of people all over the world. However, the efforts taken by small communities is the first step to conquering this problem. Here at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, we are taking the steps towards becoming the change the world needs and in doing so we hope to inspire other campuses around the country to do the same.