Hot Cups + Lids
Reusables
Provide reusable mugs in break rooms and/or pantries
If there is a big to-go coffee culture in your office, consider incentivizing staff to use reusable coffee cups through office-wide challenges and employee communication.
Disposables
When reusables are not applicable, offer disposable hot cup and lid options compatible with available waste management infrastructure.
Approved disposable materials
Materials may include: paper with non-plastic liner (or water-based coating), agricultural waste, bamboo, or other fiber-based options.
There are lid-less paper options that use origami to fold the top of the cup into a lid.
Be sure to visually identify single-use plastic coffee cups and lids in the waste management signage for respective streams. Plastic lids and paper collars are recyclable, while hot cups with plastic lining are not. There are some exceptions to this rule as manufacturers are creating “recycle-friendly” single-use hot cups. Encourage your employees to read the labels or certifications on their cups.
Warning! Confirm that your chosen option does not have harmful chemicals in the linings or coatings such as chemicals in the Bisphenols family (including BPAs) or PFAS.
CALL OUT:
Most single-use hot cups are lined with a plastic lining that makes them non-recyclable and most disposable hot cup lids are single-use plastic.