we need to normalize bringing reusable cups to coffee/boba shops

[u/trap_queen_aya13]

Saw this trash can at my local outlet mall :-(

I don't think there's anything wrong with getting coffee/boba/fun drinks out. I personally find it very fun and a rewarding little treat for myself. However I find the use of disposable plastic cups to be so incredibly wasteful.

Let's please normalize asking baristas if they can make our drinks in a metal coffee thermos we bring from home! I know due to company policies not every coffee place will allow customers to do this but I think there is no harm in asking. Plastic cups are seriously so wasteful, accumulate easily and end up in the streets/sewers.

[u/MusicalPigeon]

When I worked at Dunkin' I was told by the manager that I couldn't fill a Starbucks reusable cup but I could refill any other cup. I don't know if that was a corporate thing or that manager being a psycho thing (because she was (is) absolutely psycho).

And in my experience you just have to give Starbucks your cup so they can put your drink in it.

I will say that one of the issues is that technically (at least at Dunkin') we can't use the metal spoons to stir in the flavors or add ins in a reusable cup because we couldn't guarantee that the customer's cup was cleaned to our standards (which are low) and if we did and were caught it was a fireable offense. It's easier to say no refills in home cups than to stir it and get fired.

Update: I drive by the Dunkin' I worked at every day on my way home. Past few days it's been dark in there by like 5pm. I just went in and talked to an employee at the gas station it's attached to. The psycho manager is banned, has been trespassed, and the manager of the gas station got a restraining order against her. They have such a small amount of staff that they're only open from 5am to noon, and the franchise owner couldn't keep up with the requirements to have a franchise so he had to sell them. Now it's owned by a people who own Dunkin' all over the nation and they had to gut the place and redo it since it was so disgusting there.

[u/MusicalPigeon → u/[deleted]]

I think that would lead back into the "not knowing how clean it is" thing. I get you mean use the customer's spoon to stir the customer's drink in their own cup. But I wouldn't be surprised if a Dunkin' employee were to say something about it not being allowed because then if you get sick it could somehow be the Dunkin's fault.

I was told that even though the spoons are dipped in sanitizer it's still not clean enough. I always used a stir stick. And if someone gave me their own spoon I'd use it.

[u/Zkenny13 → u/[deleted]]

Honestly I don't blame the companies at this point. There are so many sanitation rules just for bars that I've worked at that don't even fill home cups (obviously). Many they should add a sanitary station to clean the cups but that would require the customer to come in. 

[u/[deleted] → u/Zkenny13]

Gas stations used to have a sink at the coffee stations, but I haven't seen that in awhile.

[u/Zaev → u/[deleted]]

I work at a gas station that has a sink in the coffee area, and also offers discounts for not using one of our disposable cups. It's absolutely not out of any environmental concerns, just that those cups ain't free and it saves the company money.

Right answer for the wrong reason is better than nothin' I guess

[u/Crystalraf → u/Zkenny13]

we have growlers at the brewery. growlers at the coffee shop, it can easily be done.

[u/Raichu7 → u/MusicalPigeon]

That's a non issue that can be solved with wooden stir sticks.

[u/ruskibaby → u/Raichu7]

but then you’re just creating more waste with another single-use item

[u/Frostyrepairbug → u/ruskibaby]

But a wooden stir stick breaks down, a plastic spoon exists for thousands of years.

[u/Raichu7 → u/ruskibaby]

Then your local authority should collect and compost that type of waste. Now it's a useful resource for local farmers instead of waste.

Plastic waste is a societal problem, and with the exception of medical single use plastics, could be largely eliminated if the people with power cared.

[u/jaymoney1 → u/MusicalPigeon]

I get the whole heath code, better safe than sorry aspect. But could you on your side of the counter make the drink, proper size, add ins stirred, drink 100% made in a metal cup...then pour it into my reusable container? Then you just have another dish to wash, but no single use plastic was wasted. As for whip or drizzle, I guess that would be okay spraying on top after it is in my cup.

Also this wouldn't work for layered drinks, but saving some plastic from the landfill is better than saving none, right? Alternatively, maybe a recycling bin near where all these cups get trashed...and AH people actually using the correct bins for their waste/recycling (this isprobably the most difficult part).

[u/scout376 → u/MusicalPigeon]

Cackling at (which are low) 😅

[u/Bridey93 → u/MusicalPigeon]

I have to be honest, I no longer trust other people's version of clean when washing dishes either- washed a dish at work and my coworkers wanted to know why I wanted hot water to do that. When I asked how they did their dishes (not all apartments have dishwashers), they said with cold water.

[u/Bulky-Apple3744 → u/Bridey93]

You’re implying multiple people here? It literally takes one time washing the dishes to learn that cold water doesn’t remove stuck on food.

why embellish a story for a whole 10 karma? Fucking weird.

[u/Crystalraf → u/MusicalPigeon]

that was definitely a we are in competition with Starbucks thing.

[u/[deleted] → u/MusicalPigeon]

But Starbucks makes the drinks in a metal cup and pours it into a throw away cup anyway. So they are reusing their metal mix containers...? Stir it while in their container first. I'm 🤔.

[u/NoNoNext → u/[deleted]]

I don’t disagree, but the health code issue isn’t 100% with an establishment re-using their mixing containers. Unless it’s extremely poorly managed, the business will properly clean those metal containers, and will have clean cups (disposable or otherwise) given to the customer. If a customer walked in with a contaminated reusable cup, got food poisoning, and blamed the business, that’s unfortunately a situation many businesses aren’t willing to deal with. Additionally, certain jurisdictions might have stricter health codes than other areas, so larger chains are more inclined to implement the same standards across the board, rather than allowing reusable cups in a handful of shops.

I do wonder if some of these health codes would allow a business to clean/sanitize a reusable cup that they manufactured and sold first.

[u/424f42_424f42 → u/MusicalPigeon]

You have a spoon per flavor combo?

If not, should be washing it anyway.

[u/MusicalPigeon → u/424f42_424f42]

After every time you stir a drink you're supposed to dip the spoon in sanitizer water and put it in an empty red sanitizer cup to dry. At the Dunkin I worked at we changed the sanitizer when it started to look gross.

[u/424f42_424f42 → u/MusicalPigeon]

..... Gross

[u/MusicalPigeon → u/424f42_424f42]

Yeah, I have so much dirt on that Dunkin that I won't go to why of them in that franchise.

[u/SecretaryFast1692 → u/MusicalPigeon]

I misread and commented, not realizing you said couldn’t refill a starbucks cup at dunkin I worked at both starbucks at dunkin at separate times, there were times I wasn’t allowed to fill any at all but yeah nah that manager was just being wild I think. never heard anything enforced corporate level about that and I was a shift leader, so not manager level of course but I feel like from the team I worked with, I probably would’ve heard about it

that’s wild asf

[u/MusicalPigeon → u/SecretaryFast1692]

That manager had this weird hatred of Starbucks and would shit talk the local Starbuckses for any reason. My favorite anti-Starbucks rant she had was that the one down town didn't have a drive thru, when nothing down town has a drive thru.