Paper cups - in the office!

Ben Messenger Managing Editor They may only make up a tiny part of the waste stream, but paper cups represent the tip of a disposable iceberg Paper cups. It might sound like an odd place to start. A simple product mass produced to perform a single task - once. No doubt they have their place at a barbeque or a picnic. Maybe even when the urge for a half sweet, skinny caramel macchiato strikes while on the go - although I have to say I'm fine with a plain white coffee myself. But is there really any place for paper cups in an office? I don't think so. But it's a habit I've noticed in a number of office buildings. And it's not as if it has been the only option of beverage container. For the most part the work places in question have been well stocked with a selection of reusable ceramic drinking receptacles – or mugs as they're more commonly known where I come from. From nothing more scientific than my own observations, it seems to me that given the choice a certain percentage of the workforce will always choose the single use paper cup for their morning caffeine hit. This begs the obvious question of why? I'm pretty sure it's not to save time on washing up, because nine times out of 10 there's a high-end dishwasher to take care of that. Could it then be part of the modern obsession with SARS-free antibacterial cleanliness and an irrational fear of other people's germs? Well if it is they don't apply the same philosophy to plates and cutlery. No. I think it's to do with the emergence of the throwaway society. People, or at least some people, simply don't think about waste. They don't think about the energy and materials used to make the cup they've used just once, and they probably don't realise it's actually a very difficult product to recycle. Possibly they wouldn't care if they did. And while it's true that paper cups can be a challenging waste stream to recycle, they represent the tiniest tip of the iceberg where the throwaway society is concerned. As in many countries, a heated debate is currently raging in England surrounding government plans to implement a charge - or as others see it, a tax - on single use plastic bags. In 2012 customers at UK supermarkets used some 8.1 billion of this type of bag. They may be convenient, but it's hard to deny that that's a lot of waste. But the throwaway culture extends well beyond the products that we expect to be discarded, that were destined for the bin from the minute they left the production line. All manner of highly complex products, gadgets and appliances ultimately share that fate. In 2012 global MSW was estimated at around 1.3 billion tonnes. As vast numbers of people in developing countries become wealthier, possibly wealthy enough to throw away their cups, bags and electronics, it is expected to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025. To find out what actions a UK Government Committee recommended to tackle the throwaway society turn to page 6. Elsewhere, on page 14 representatives of the U.S. EPA and the lead acid battery recycling industry discuss the issue of exports, and on page 18 you'll find a detailed look at Copenhagen's new waste to energy ski slope. Enjoy the issue. Ben Messenger Managing Editor