TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Grab that mug; reduce trash flow

ADVERTISEMENT

By JENNIFER HILL

jhill@wfla.com

Published: October 15, 2009

Ah, the sweet sound of brewing coffee to keeps us moving at the office.

And we love our coffee.

Tampa was named the most caffeinated city in America this year in a nationwide telephone survey.

But before you reach for that disposable cup, think about this: All those cups we throw away are adding up.

They account for 23 pounds of trash per person, according to Christine Commerce of Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful, which is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.

We are generating "28 million cups or 100 million pounds of paper that ends up in our landfills each year," Commerce said. That's 23 pounds of garbage per person. Some people recycle, but 67 percent of people surveyed said they threw their cups in the trash, not the recycle bin.

Commerce's nonprofit organization works to reduce waste and litter and beautify the community.

That's why the organization is pushing a local version of "Bring Your Mug to Work Day," sponsored nationwide by coffee creamer company International Delight, which is slated to kick off this morning.

Upload pictures of your mug at work at http://v.tbo.com/ ChannelGallery.aspx?c=2611

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT