Coffee is for me, and for many, an absolute necessity in daily life. Coffee was once a rare luxury, and has come to become a normal part of our routines, and with it has take-away culture. Now most people assume that because coffee cups feel like cardboard, they can be recycled. Sadly this is untrue. In order to keep the cup from leaking, the inside is treated with a thin plastic lining, which is incredibly difficult to remove in an ordinary recycling plant. Although there are special plants that have developed recycling methods, they are few and far between.

As someone who used to work in a Starbucks, the epitome of take-away and throw-away culture, I am well aware of the sheer number of take-away cups an ordinary coffee shop will go through in a single day, almost all of which ending up in landfill.

Luckily, there are several really easy solutions to this problem, all of which require a simple change in habit or a couple of minutes research.

1. Take your own cup! This is really a brilliant option, and the only one which ensures a no-waste coffee drinking experience. In addition to being a really easy habit to get into, many coffee shops offer extra perks (if the satisfaction of saving the planet isn't perky enough for you), such as discounts or extra loyalty stamps. This is particularly inexcusable for those who habitually drink coffee, such as on the way to work or when walking the dog, just pop a reusable cup or two in your bag or car so that you never forget one!

Handy collapsible cups are now on the market which fit easily into a coat pocket or tuck away into a small bag.

If possible, try to opt for a bamboo based cup, or a glass and cork based, so that when it is worn and no longer usable, it will degrade faster than plastic in landfill.

You can buy keepcups in many colleges and in the grad cafe by the river, where you also get a free coffee with your keepcup purchase! For a list of places you can buy reusable cups and which cafes offer perks for usage, follow this link :

2. Research which coffee shops use recyclable or compostable takeaway cups and try to stick to those when you've forgotten your own cup. For those lucky enough to live in Cambridge, I've already started the research for you! If you are not sure whether a coffee shop is conscious of take away waste, (i.e. Don't offer perks for personal coffee cups or use sustainable cups themselves) ask! Even if the answer is no, making it clear that there is a market for such sustainable practises can push a business to make a change!

3. Finally, consider sitting in! We spend so much of our days rushing from place to place, can you spare the time to sit down with a china cup? Of course this is not always possible, but perhaps factoring in some extra time to relax and enjoy your coffee could go a long way beyond saving waste!

(extra ideas - workplace changes, universities with coffee on campus - easier to implement change. Heathrow as an example? Trying to push for change at a higher level rather than just individually. Hugh FW documentary link)