In Austria, around 800,000 cups are disposed of every day. This corresponds to a resource consumption of 34 million kilowatt hours of energy or the annual electricity consumption of 9,000 Austrian households. In terms of wood, this amounts to around 4,500 trees.1
Unfortunately, single-use disposable cups have an even greater negative impact on the environment: even if the cups do end up directly in the bin, not all the paper can be recycled. This is because the paper fibres stick really well to the plastic coating. Aside from the paper which can be removed, the remaining parts of the disposable cup are always disposed of with residual waste.2
At the vending machine, right next to the hot drink machine, you can buy a University of Graz coffee-to-go cup. The coffee-to-go cup is also available to buy from the University Store.
So that you can use your coffee-to-go cup on a regular basis, we have chosen a cup that stands out from the bog standard reusable cups thanks to its design: the University of Graz coffee-to-go cup is made from 40% recycled disposable cups (BPA and melamine free), is dishwasher safe, lightweight, 100% drip-proof and keeps your drink warm for 60 to 90 minutes. Holding 230 ml, the coffee-to-go cup is just the right size and is therefore not only easy to hold, but can also fit into all vending machine dispensers at the University of Graz and everywhere else.
Of course, the most environmentally friendly way is to use your own coffee-to-go cup, which you already have at home anyway. But if you have already used the Uni Graz coffee-to-go cup around 10 to 25 times, then it is ultimately more environmentally friendly than a disposable cup.3