Plantable Coffee Cups Are A Great Idea But Will They Make A Difference?

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There's a company in California that created the world's first biodegradable, disposable coffee cup that plants trees and flowers when it's thrown away! It's kind of a brilliant idea I think.

The company is called Reduce. Reuse. Grow. and their cup is embedded with seeds... the coffee doesn't actually come in contact with them so they're preserved to grow later.

You can see the seeds in the cup:

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The theory is that after people use the cup they can unravel it and there's a map with instructions on where to plant the cup. lol. They're supposed to soak the paper in water for 5 minutes and then plant it in the suggested locations.

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I laugh because almost no one is going to take the time to do this. However, the cup is still a great idea because so many people are pigs and will just chuck the cup out the car window while driving down the highway.

Which means it will still break down rather quickly and the seeds will sprout if they land on soil. The problem is, I'm sure the cost of making these type of cups is at least ten time higher than a regular paper cup.

Just in the United States alone, 460 BILLION disposable coffee cups are thrown out and end up in land fills each year. So even though they are a small item, a dent could definitely be made if most were biodegradable.

Need more of these guys but don't hold your breath:

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Styrofoam vs. Paper

You'd think that styrofoam(Polystyrene) would be so much worse for the environment that they should all be banned immediately. But not so fast...studies show that paper cups are just as damaging to the environment.

In fact a Dutch study found their impact to be equal:

Compared to making paper cups, manufacturing polystyrene cups:

  • requires about 42 percent less water
  • needs about 17 percent less energy
  • uses 22 percent less petroleum to source materials and ship cups
  • doesn’t call for chemicals that can harm water if not disposed of properly, such as chlorine dioxide
  • doesn’t necessitate the cutting of trees

In contrast, when compared to foam cups, paper cups:

  • produce about 28 percent fewer greenhouse gasses
  • decompose in a landfill in 20 years, as opposed to 1 million-plus
  • decompose in water in just a few days, instead of 50 years
  • are far easier to recycle and recycled at a higher rate
  • aren’t toxic (see above) source

Even though studies are finding them to have a fairly equal impact, companies are going more with paper because of the toxicity and the length of time for degrading of polystyrene.

Common sense solution

The best thing to do is just take your own coffee mug or tumbler with you. In fact, Starbucks supports this idea and will give you a 10 cent discount if you bring in your own mug.

I know that ain't gonna be widely adopted though because it takes more effort. However, we're heading in the right direction and with innovations like the CA company came up with we'll eventually solve the pollution problem. I think.

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Thanks for stopping by folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas

PS- I saw this photo on my wife's facebook feed. Some guy walking down the street with a cat sitting on his head. lol. He must be a smooth walker!

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79 comments
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I'm pretty much an anti-environmentalist, but I think this is a great idea!

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Howdy sir optout! I am totally against the activists who are just crazy and always stirring up hatred and panic and doom. But of course I'm for reasonable, responsible steps to reduce pollution like we've been doing in this country for decades.

And I agree, if this could be done economically it would put a big dent in the problem. I don't know how you stop it but big plastic cups need to be seriously reduced, those things are everywhere in the landscape, roads, streets.

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Reduce, reuse, recycle in that order. Every few years I get a new stainless steel coffee cup. It insulates very well and I can refil it thousands of times. When I'm done, it can be recycled, too.

I think birds as more suited for that!

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Howdy sir abitcoinskeptic! That's a great idea with the stainless steel cup. If everyone did that it would help so much. That's very smart and wise.

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Why don't Starbucks and the like use ceramic mugs for to-stay orders? They used to. This alone would be a huge reduction in waste. But no, it's easier to put the onus on the customer to bring a re-usable.

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Howdy deirdyweirdy! Oh, I didn't know they used to do that, very interesting. Well, I've never been a big Starbucks fan because they were never where I was and now I'm in the country so nothing is where I am. lol. That's a good suggestion though. That would be alot more work for them though and cut into profits.

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If we all die from coronavirus plantable cups won't be required; The planet will heal itself from the hurt we have done it.

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Howdy sir galenkp! I don't know how to answer that but I generally agree. lol. From what I understand about the coronavirus is that if your immune system is strong then you won't get sick with it, is that your understanding of it? Hey a new profile photo!

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Yeah, I think that's the thrust of it. The young, old and those with poor immune systems are at the greatest risk. I don't really know though as I'm not one to watch the news. Yeah, Faith took that on Sunday when I was shooting shotguns.

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I understand sir galenkp and sorry for the late reply, I was offline almost all day working outside except to post so I'm dreadfully behind. I watch very little news but I like to tune in to get the weather sometimes or to check at the top of the hour to see if anything major happens but usually if it does someone on Steemit is doing a post about it. lol...so I really like that about steemit.

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Once a person distances themselves from the news services then goes back usually they tend not to have any credibility anymore. It's all just propaganda. Of course, some news services are better than others and it depends on the viewer too...Some people use them to form their own opinions which I think is not the way to go considering most of the news incorrect or propaganda designed to lead people in a particular direction.

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Howdy today sir galenkp! Yes sir, people don't realize that the news is slanted and carefully crafted to change people's views of things. Like all of Europe. I love Europe and Europeans but they've been listening to Soros owned news most of their lives and I've yet to meet one who has a positive view of America.

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It would be good if more people tuned out, but alas, I doubt that will happen, not on a massive scale anyway.

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We just need steemit to get gigantic! I don't know of any steemians who watch the news! lol.

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Gee Man @galenkp gets it.... I hope He Don't GET IT..!!

I mean He understands the situation, We are being lied to as usual....

This virus has genetic markers of man made manipulation, and what we are not being told is the key to it all... It is doing exactly what it was bio-engineered to do.....

A level four-ish pandemic....

Imagine a level 10!!!

Update.... It is now confirmed on every continent.... Except Antarctica.

Hey Jonboy @janton... 9 confirmed in Texas. If You believe the know liars telling us this.....

yc6rlp.pngsrc ddg zombie meme search

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I agree with you that it is a good idea. But will it work? Will people make the effort to plant the seeds? That's the question. I am inclined to think that some might, most won't.

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Howdy sir Vincent! Well, over here in California I think the idea will be largely followed because the place has so many people who would do it but the rest of the country, no way. lol.

But that's fine because they break down fast and the seeds will be spread regardless. Do you think they'd go to the trouble to plant them over there or are y'all a bunch of lazy anti- environmentalists? lol.

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We brew our coffee at home and take it with us. Easier that way, and more environmental friendly.

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Oh yeah right, I see what you're sayin. The real reason is your such a tight-wad! Gotta save the money for beer. lol.

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I love it when people try and do something to make up for the destroyers among us.

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Howdy anneke! I agree, it's a great story and proves that things can be done to solve the problem, it's just a matter of if anyone cares enough to implement the solution!

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The main thing about conservation is it costs money and not a whole lot comes in.......so our government do not always understand we protect for future generation not for the many. A lot of private companies are involved in conservation because we have a lot to protect but unfortunately also a lot of people who do not care.

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Yeah I agree. I wonder what percentage of people just don't give a flip and if that percentage changes alot from country to country. I think it does. I bet maybe half the people here care about it but maybe that's being optimistic!

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It’s a great idea. I’m curious to know where the map inside says to plant your cup/seeds. Do you think it’s a planned design or word which will be revealed? Or is it a secret plan to lead people to a place where the veil between worlds is thin and into another dimension?

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lol..that's a great question sir skunkape30uk, I couldn't even find their website but one would need to do that and ask them. By the way, that's a very unusual username you got there, do you guys have sasquatches in the U.K.?

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Cheers mate, well the jury is out on that question and would probably need several posts to answer fully. There is a British Bigfoot research group who say yes https://ukwildman.blogspot.com/?m=1. And we have a medieval history of the green man and Woodwose and there are still many recent sightings https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/bigfoot-sighting-somerset-field-bristol-1555627 But if they are still here in Britain, their existence either leans more towards the inter-dimensional or Woo side of things or if purely physical they’re up in the Scottish and Welsh hills.

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Howdy today sir skunkape30uk! Thanks for that link, that was an interesting article and the Bigfoot expert answered my question of whether there was enough remote forest and rural land for Bigfoots to be there and apparently there's lots! lol.

Several experts here think they have to be inter-dimensional to be able to evade all the high-tech equipment that people use to try and find them. Because they just seem to disappear when the professional researchers show up.

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Not a bother sir, if you’ve an hour or so to kill this podcast may be of interest to you too https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sasquatch-chronicles/id604656349?i=1000433821714 actually all of Wes’s shows are rather entertaining.

I can see from your profile you’re from Texas Sir, any encounters with the big fellas yourself? From listening and reading I’ve heard they’re supposedly rather aggressive and prone to anger where you are.

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Howdy today sir skunkape30uk! Well I've been to the site of the Texas Bigfoot researchers and almost all the sightings are in East Texas because there's lots of forests there. In our area is almost all grassland and I've never heard of any around here.
I've rarely heard of them getting angry so that's interesting. Usually they just disappear into the woods. Thanks so much for that link!

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No worries mate. I’d love to read about your experiences if you’ve done a post on here about going out to research sites?

Sorry to keep spamming you with links but on the subject of Texas Bigfoot, if you ever visit Sam Houston Forest and may have looked into the whole missing 411 phenomena this offers a fair few points to mull over https://sasquatchchronicles.com/mike-wooley-discusses-bigfoot-aggressive-and-dangerous/

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Howdy today sir skunkape30uk! Thanks so much for this link. I read through the text and the comments, couldn't play the video on this computer which is having trouble playing videos lately but I'm anxious to see it when I switch computers in a little while. I didn't know all this was going on in the Sam Houston forest, wow!

I'll probably do more research and do a post about it someday.

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Glad you liked it mate and stay safe out there.

Be sure to message me on here no matter the thread topic when you write that post. Or if you’re lucky enough to meet the big fella, spam my whole feed 😀

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lol..I am not close to the Sam Houston forest and after reading about those accounts of the other hunter on that site I would be afraid to go there! That's amazing. The pages with the drawings of what he saw won't come up, do they come up for you?

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That’s a good thing and yes I’m with you on bring afraid. From all the accounts I’ve listened too about encounters in North America across the whole spectrum of cryptids and the paranormal I’d never go in the woods without several firearms and with a satellite GPS tracker on me.

No the pictures won’t load for me either sadly and google images isn’t that helpful. Some of the most interesting Bigfoot drawings I’ve seen are from a book called The Hoopa Project though. Basically they got a police sketch artist who normally removed masks off of bank robbers or beards off of fugitives for wanted posters, to take the hair/fur off of people’s descriptions and sketches of Bigfoot. You can see the results on a quick image search online. But basically they’re sketches with an amazing likeness to the First Nations people.

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Howdy today sir skunkape30uk! That is very interesting that the sketch artist renderings look like First Nations people!

I don't think I would go into the woods myself no matter what! lol. That part about people going missing in the Sam Houston forest is very scary, I need to see if I can find anything out about that.

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Hey janton. Hope you are well 🙏
Not sure how this will work, great idea though.

Posted using Partiko Android

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I think it will work as intended in California but not very well anyplace else but it would still be a great idea everywhere, they might have to change the seeds where you are! lol.

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(Edited)

I doubt seed will find earth on the highway but it's an interesting idea... Unless the cups are cleaned up.

How about bringing your own cup along and asking (way) more for coffee + cup?

!trdo 💕

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Howdy again wakeupkitty! I agree, bringing your own cup is the best solution, smart thinking!

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I like the creativeness of it but no I don't think it will make a difference but it is nice to see people try!

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Howdy sir simms50! I agree but if all the companies could afford to make their cups that way it would make a difference. But the problem is more complex than it seems like the test results from that Dutch study shows. I bet you never throw coffee cups out the window! You probably have your own mug too don't you?

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I don't really drink coffee but I do bring my own stainless steel water jug pretty much everywhere I go!

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Very wise sir simms50! Do you drink tea or you just don't rely on anything physical to get you going in the morning?

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That is a great idea! Although I really doubt people would go out of their way to plant it in the suggested location. I imagine some people might plant the cup somewhere of their choosing, or, as you said, toss it out the window to where at least Nature will do it's thing and it will still grow despite spiteful humanity.

That photo of the man walking with a cat on his head is brilliant. :D

Reminds me of a man in my town. He has a big pitbull he walks around with every day. Only, a lorikeet (rainbow parrot) has bonded with the pitbull. They're inseparable! This big dog walking around with a bird practically glued to his head. :D Hehe.

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Howdy kaelci! I don't think we've met before so good to meet you. Oh I see you are another Aussie! Don't worry, I won't hold that against you. lol..just teasing, I love Australia.

I'm so glad you liked that cat sitting on the guy's head photo, I see you are a fan of cats, good for you. Do you know about @galenkp and @krazzytrukker? Both are fantastic guys and cat lovers.

That story about the pitbull and the parrot is awesome too, that has to be an amazing sight! lol..thanks so much for commenting!

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venin’ Cowboy! When I pass by Tim Hortons coffee shop there are vehicles lined up by the drive - through to get that cuppa java. They will all get the coffee in a paper cup. And the people seated inside will also have the paper cups. It wasn’t that long ago ( as @deirdyweirdy mentioned) inside seated customers would get a ceramic cup that would be reused.

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Well I don't have that big of a problem with paper cups, do you? I mean they get thrown out but they break down fairly fast. I don't know what choice the shops have as far as drive through customers.

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Because We need Trees growing on the shoulder of the highway and out of dumpsters..... Lmao

Kewl idea i agree.... But people are lazy pigs. But if only a few get planted each day. It is a win.

Hey Cat Guys.... The Shoulder works best.....sr8jk2.png

https://bittube.tv/post/edd62cb3-dd84-4b72-8dc6-7ed27b3fa670

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Well well well...look what the cats drug in. Hey is that beard turning white instead of grey? lol.

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Gonna have to shave.. So my Coronavirus mask will work.....bg09gy.jpg

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Hey we were just talkin about that, Mrs. J and I. Someone on here was saying that masks are already sold out in a 100 mile radius of her house, some city up North.

Is that one there? That's a serious lookin mask. This lady said they needed to be n95 but I don't know what that means. What's the story of that shirt?

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N95 is the filter rating. Like a paint booth respirator. Very fine filter. But any mask only works if fitted and sealed properly to face. And eye protection is a must. No rubbing of the eyes or mouth with unwashed hands.

That blue mask is paint respirator rated. I use it when brush hogging.

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I don't think those paper ones seal to your face very well do they? And most people sure aren't wearing eye protection. Hopefully this thing will die out before it spreads to everywhere. I thought you WERE a brush hog.

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(Edited)

Who you callin pigs anyway? And where are you callin us that from? Besides that, I heard that Floridians feed their kids to the alligators.

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Yer not people.....

Yer Jonboy.... And def not lazy.

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Sometimes I feel like it though but I still keep busy acting like I'm workin. lol.

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I am from Pensyl-tucky..... Dairy farmers. We also had pigs. Lazy Pigs.... Lmaoo

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Yeah all they wanna do is lay around or eat, preferrably eat while they're layin down.

Mrs. J is surrounded by those kind of people at work. We've never heard of such laziness, it's amazing. Not a single person there would last one day in a private company or the corporate world.

But they thrive in the pathetic government operation.

Did you ever get that voice typing software?

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I have messed with the voice to text

Never works well with my mush mouth. And most of my talk is pennsyl-tucky white trash hillbilly slang.... Lmao

I crack meeself up sometimes.... Lol

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(Edited)

lol..white trash. So you are sitting someplace for the night I assume, or else you've been on dinner break if there is such a thing. What WAS for dinner, bytheway?

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Subway Sammich..... Nothin Cajun about that garbage.

I am here.... By the muddy Mississippi...... In Delta LA.utecp7.jpg

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Did you get the cats something? You call Subway garbage? How long you there for?

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(Edited)

When You eat out for a living.... 28+yrs of To Go Orders

I guess i can see what has turned to processed GARBAGE and what has not.

I had the chicken bacon ranch. It was horrible. Chicken breast was a fake tasteless turd. Used to be real.

My cats eat high dollar canned food / kibble combo. They eat better than i do.

I give them a snitch or 2 of what i eat as a treat..... That or they may attack me and take it or eat my face. .

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What? The chicken breasts at Subway are fake now? jeez. That sucks. That video wouldn't play, said the file was corrupted.

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Figures.....

You called Me a "Couch Potato"
awhile back..... I did a video about it. You prolly never seen that on DTube(toilet) cuz that video kamode will not flush (play) either.


So do You think Steem has a future....???

Ned sold it to Jeff (TRON)

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Howdy tonight sir krazzytrukker! Well I was callin it like I see it, you want me to be fake? lol. Nah, just teasing of course. That video wouldn't play but I'll try on my other computer later.

Who is Jeff?

Well no one knows if Steemit has a future. Steem probably does though but from the countless posts I've read about Mr. Sun, the bottom line is that no one knows what he'll do because he acts impulsively. Also, we're not sure if he's his own boss or answers to someone in China or to Binance who owns a controlling share of Tron.

So that question is impossible to answer and we'll just have to see what he does. He may want to merge steemit with Tron and that would be a messy, chaotic merger.

The biggest hope is that he would want to increase the value of that 70 million Steem he now owns, so you would think he'd do what had the best chance of increasing the price. It might depend on if he gets along with the Steemit people and if they don't piss him off.

He's got like a billion dollars backing him so he could crush steemit if he got pissed enough.

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Slacker.... Day 2 no post.....?!!

U gettin Lazy....?

Or should I flush this eSteem App down the cyber toilet like Partiko and Dtube.....!?!?ciot4v.jpg

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(Edited)

Slacker yes! I worked outside all day yesterday so when I got in I just worked on catching up with comments and such. I haven't been very enthusiastic lately though. I mean unless I get lucky my posts usually make about $1.50 lol.

Dang near everyone I visit makes $5 to $25 on each post and after 2 years I've never gotten any traction so I probably shouldn't be spending as much time on here as I do.

lol..those images crack me up!

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That is a great idea! But as you mentioned, quite expensive. Truly the best way is to carry our own cup. Or drink coffee at home like I do right now, lol. Anyway, I hope you are doing well Janton 😊

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I'm great, thanks so much Miss Lena!

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That is both cool and horrible... I hoipe they're using native plant species for wherever the cups are being shipped, at least! Whenever I'm out in the state park or at the waterfalls around here, there's trash. Even if it were biodegradable and seed-planting, I hate seeing it. These cups are a great idea in some ways, but it is also almost an incentive to toss them into whe woods instead of a trash can.

Still, glad someone's at least thinking about alternatives and at least they won't still be in the woods in 100 years...

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I agree. It's the most desirable option among not very good options. Because people are pigs. Those people that trash your beautiful falls area all the time for instance. Jeez. Sure these break down in just a couple years, they didn't say.

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