We just got back from a long walk in the hills (you must wonder if I ever do anything else) it was a new place and we were exploring,I took a couple of pictures. Shula in the burn as ever! Its amazing when you get into the hills how they open out and the whole scene is so different to what you see from the car. We feel very lucky to be living in such a beautiful place.
Having said that it amazes me how many people simply throw cans, bottles and paper cups away when they are walking in these beautiful places. I just cannot equate enjoying the beauty and walking with throwing rubbish around to despoil the countryside. On this theme I have been reading a blog about paper cups which are disposed of in the UK alone.
An astounding 18.25 million takeaway paper cups are
handed out by Starbucks alone every year - but due to their wax
coating, they cannot be recycled and so end up on UK landfills.
"We
get through an astonishing 31 billion cups of coffee a year (not to
mention the cups of tea drank in the UK) and a high proportion of this
figure includes takeaway coffee in paper or polystyrene cups that just
make it to the dump - a problem, not dissimilar to the dilemma of
plastic bags," says Nigel of Nigel's Eco Store.
"Just
as British shoppers got to grips with bringing their own bags, the same
should apply for takeaway coffees and I'm Not a Paper Cup, already an
icon in the US, is perfect to tackle the problem of non-recyclable
paper cups.
I'm Not a
Paper Cup is a reusable, double walled, thermal ceramic mug that comes
with a re-sealable silicon lid keeps the coffee safe - not only does
the coffee stay warmer for longer, it will also cost less with many
high street chains now offering coffee at knockdown prices if customers
bring their own.
"I'm not a paper cup is great!
How could anyone bear to drink their morning coffee in ghastly
unsustainable polystyrene after the delights of this glorious, green
mug. Everyone should have one," says Catherine Jones, eco columnist
from Psychologies who recently road tested I'm Not a Paper Cup and
hasn't been seen without it since.
So maybe we should let our feelings be known by bringing our own containers, personally I hate polystyrene cups anyway. What do you think?
Linda