So which are the best reusable coffee cups? Frank Green’s ceramic reusable cups are among the most leak-proof.
They’re seriously lightweight, have the ability to keep your coffee hot for upwards of two hours and look genuinely chic. Oh, and they’re currently on sale at John Lewis for £11 (down from £20).
Luckily, in 2020, having a reusable coffee cup is fashionable. It suggests you care about the planet (cool), shows you know all sorts about beans/brews/blends (cool) and shows you have the desirable ability to match your coffee cup with your designer handbag/face mask/sunglasses. Also very cool. You know what to do.
Almost three billion single-use coffee cups were used in the UK last year, and the number sent to landfill has increased by more than 250 million since this time three years ago. Ouch. What does that tell us? Firstly, that we’re a nation who LOVES coffee. But more importantly, that we’ve *seriously* gotta get our act together and be a bit more sustainable about the whole thing.
While it’s not just our favourite coffee shops that can serve up a brew worth shouting about – (we’re alluding to these amazing coffee subscription services, FYI) – there’s something about taking a WFH break and heading to your local coffee joint that can’t be competed with. So, we’re absolutely not suggesting you go without your daily caffeine fix (what a horrendous thought). What we are suggesting is that you invest in your own reusable coffee cup to take with you. And as our favourite coffee shops reopen their doors after far too long, there’s simply no better time to take the plunge.
We know what you’re thinking – your local coffee shop offers compostable cups, so aren’t you being eco-friendly enough already? Sadly not, because they aren’t actually an effective solution to the problem… despite what you might first think. Most of the “compostable” cups offered at cafes and coffee shops are technically compostable, but the UK doesn’t have the technology to process them, so they end up with the rest of your recycling with compromises that process further.
There’s also the Stojo cup which is the best collapsable variation we tried. If you hate carrying your reusable coffee cup around all day after taking the last sip of flat white, Stojo have you covered.
This cup folds up and fits in your pocket, is seriously lightweight and comes in a range of mood-boosting hues. The only downside? The insulation isn’t quite as good as some other offerings – but if you drink you coffee as quickly as you anti-bac after a trip to the supermarket, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Moving away from coffee-specific cups to reusable cups in general, Chilly’s reigns supreme in the reusable cup market. Their leak-proof drinks bottles are available in a whole array of colours, they feel super high-end and they keep hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold drinks cool for 24. No seriously – these bottles genuinely live up to the claims. Use them for water, coffee, tea, soups and smoothies if you’re after a multi-tasker. Oh, and while we’re here, Hydroflask has recently launched a reusable, insulated wine bottle which we’re living for. They’re designed for drip-free pours and easy filling, and they can fit an entire bottle of wine inside. A staycation necessity.
