Around 50 billion disposable drink cups are used every year in the US, but in the city of Petaluma, we will see if Americans have the discipline to reduce this footprint.
The city numbers around 60,000 people, and will participate in the Reuseable Cup Project. The aim is to furnish 30 local restaurants, from Starbucks to Taco Bell, with identical, durable, plastic drink cups, which customers and diners can use and then either leave on the table, or deposit in a network of dropoff bins around the city.
…Petaluma’s residents will not be charged a penny more for their drinks…
YET.
There is no way this program can so much as break even without someone paying the bills.
Even if all the employees are volunteers, trucks that empty the bins and deliver the cups, plus washing equipment for said cups, rent for the space to house the trucks and washing equipment, maintenance, utilities, etc., aren’t free.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to see this program succeed and expand. Without knowing more about how they’re funded, though, I’m skeptical.
80/20 rule. If it is successful 80% of the time, it is actually a success. The 20 is how to hone the program, not how to point out how it will only fail.
Sugar is addictive and plenty of people lack self control. If you include a giant source of sugar with a meal for a few cents people are going to buy it. If you don’t include it you can increase public health and reduce pollution. Unfortunately people don’t like to be told what is good for them.
This only punishes those with financial ocd or lesser means. Those without self control will spend their money without control too. Plus you need cups for water too. People drink when they eat either way.
I love recycling, but I am also skeptical. Not even of the infrastructure itself, idk I guess the idea could work, but the people are so fucking stupid. And lazy. This will lead to failure.
I see people throwing away full, half-full cups. Even just cups of ice, that ice melts, now there’s water. All this sticky-sweet refuse will attract insects. What’s going to become of this gross mess? Who’s going to clean it up for reuse? Will it be cleaned well enough?
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My God they’ve invented, cups. What geniuses they are
It’s got electrolytes
Imagine if those smartasses hear about glass cups
Too breakable. Collection like this, they want uh pourable in a different sense.
What about that Superfest Glass. That would probably work.
But the forever chemicals in those cups give the soda-pop it’s fizzzzzzzzzzz
YET.
There is no way this program can so much as break even without someone paying the bills.
Even if all the employees are volunteers, trucks that empty the bins and deliver the cups, plus washing equipment for said cups, rent for the space to house the trucks and washing equipment, maintenance, utilities, etc., aren’t free.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to see this program succeed and expand. Without knowing more about how they’re funded, though, I’m skeptical.
closes the cupboard where he keeps all his stolen A&W mugs
Those bins are just gonna be filled with trash and there’s still gonna be these cups and other litter in the gutter.
I had to stop and check if this was an Onion article lmao.
Like, has any one of the dozen people that approved this actually met an American?
Still. I think it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe it would really incentivize people if there was a small deposit
80/20 rule. If it is successful 80% of the time, it is actually a success. The 20 is how to hone the program, not how to point out how it will only fail.
Is it? It creates more plastic cups + new bins to replace, what I’d assume is, paper cups in most cases.
Should make it so you can just throw it in any no-sort recycling bin… Then collect them from the recycling center. No need for a whole new bin system.
Why not just stop including drinks with meals. It’s half the reason we’re all so goddamn fat.
Or, you know, you can order without the drink…
Sugar is addictive and plenty of people lack self control. If you include a giant source of sugar with a meal for a few cents people are going to buy it. If you don’t include it you can increase public health and reduce pollution. Unfortunately people don’t like to be told what is good for them.
This only punishes those with financial ocd or lesser means. Those without self control will spend their money without control too. Plus you need cups for water too. People drink when they eat either way.
One thing I think is stupid is that I can’t just carry my own damn cup (easily)
I have a 16 oz cup, ring it out as whatever size that is, done.
I have one similar to this but if you try to do anything non standard at a restaurant they get fussy.
The best I can do is go to taco bell and pay for a drink but not take their cup.
Some places near me did this but stopped during COVID and never brought it back
I love recycling, but I am also skeptical. Not even of the infrastructure itself, idk I guess the idea could work, but the people are so fucking stupid. And lazy. This will lead to failure.
I see people throwing away full, half-full cups. Even just cups of ice, that ice melts, now there’s water. All this sticky-sweet refuse will attract insects. What’s going to become of this gross mess? Who’s going to clean it up for reuse? Will it be cleaned well enough?
I am a quite skeptical of this project, mainly because it is related to circular economy.
A relevant link (article+audio) would be:
How the ‘circular economy’ went from environmentalist dream to marketing buzzword
This is just recycling with extra steps.
The old slogan has always been “reduce, reuse, recycle”. This seems to focus on the “reduce/reuse” part.