13 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Glass Coffee Mugs

It`s time to switch to reusable glass coffee mugs and quit single-use plastic cups!

Let`s start the day!

Everyone has their morning beverage. Whether it is tea, coffee, matcha, or whatever else gets them up-and-moving.

Every morning.

Every morning is a lot of mornings, and when it comes to waste, every morning can start adding up, especially if you are using disposable coffee cups.  

Consider glass mugs as an eco-friendly, zero waste option for holding your morning pick-me-up. Each sip will bring our world one step closer to sustainability.

Below are 13 reasons why you should consider using glass coffee mugs, not just for the planet, but also for yourself.

1. Because You Can Reuse Them

The most compelling reason for using a glass coffee mug is that glass coffee mugs are 100% reusable.

The waste from using single-use coffee cups can really add up. Consider, if you are buying coffee out every day you are using 365 single-use coffee cups a year.

And then just throwing them out.

Even if you are only buying coffee once every other day, that is 182 coffee cups a year.

If that is the impact of one person using single-use coffee cups, consider what the impact is of every adult in America who drinks coffee.

According to a survey conducted by the National Coffee Association, 83% of adults, people over the age of 18,  in America drink coffee. According to the 2018 US census, there are 253,768,092 adults in America. That means that 210,627,516 adults in America drink coffee.

Of course, how much coffee those adults drink varies, ranging from a few cups a day to a few cups a week. Still, if we assume that on average adults drink a cup of coffee every other day, the possible waste of single-use cups in total for America would be 38,334,300,000 wasted cups a year.

One study found that the number of single-use coffee cups being thrown into landfills could be as large as 54 billion a year.

Let me say that again.

54 BILLION CUPS.

Which is why it is so imperative that reusable coffee cups are used.

This doesn’t even account for how much coffee is drunk around the world. Over ten million tons of coffee is drank around the world every year.

The waste, if most of that coffee if not in reusable containers, is unfathomable.

It is imperative that we, and our friends and family, all use reusable mugs. A great option for a reusable glass coffee mug is the KeepCup, which I will go into more detail about later in this article. 

The KeepCup is completely reusable; you just fill it up with your beverage of choice, wash it out, and then use it the next day. Glass coffee mugs are durable, and do not degrade, so you do not have to worry about eventually needing to throw it out.

2. Because They are a Sustainable Option   

Glass coffee mugs are incredibly sustainable!

For starters, glass is an eco-friendly, all natural raw material that takes a very small carbon footprint to create. That carbon footprint is even smaller if the glass you are using is coming from recycled glass.

Glass, unlike other materials that mugs can be made of, like ceramic, can be recycled. Glass is one of the only 100% recyclable materials out there. Compared to making glass for the first time from raw materials, glass created from recycled glass reduces air pollution by 20% and related water pollution by 50%.

In other words, make sure your glass coffee mug comes from recycled glass, like our EcoRoots KeepCup.

At some point you may be done with your glass mug.

Let’s say after years of use, you somehow chipped it.

You can then recycle your glass coffee mug again. Glass after all is 100% recyclable and can be endlessly reused. Your glass coffee mug could be turned into an array of other glass products- the material is that flexible!

Worried that your town may not have the means for glass recycling?

Worry not!

Almost every place in America, and every developing country for that matter, has some kind of infrastructure for recycling glass.

Therefore if you are looking for the most sustainable option for carrying around your morning brew, a glass coffee mug will be perfect for you!

3. Because Glass is Beautiful  

We all have done it.

We all have gone to a Starbucks, maybe it was before school, maybe it was before work, and purchased a beverage.

Whether it was a venti or a short, an iced caramel macchiato or black coffee, we didn’t care. 

What mattered was the Starbucks’ label on the outside of the cup.

Whatever that label may have meant to us, whether it was a student showing off their bougie beverage, or a coworker showing off their great taste in coffee, in the end, it was us trying to flaunt something.

Looking back though, through an environmental lens, it is clear that it is not the label that mattered.

Rather, what mattered was what the label was on.

A single-use cup.

That symbolized not great coffee, or expensive taste, but rather more trash in our landfills.

More unnecessary waste.  

Glass coffee mugs are beautiful because of the sustainability that they symbolize.

They are also beautiful, because, well, glass is beautiful.

Glass is much more aesthetic than a plastic or paper cup could ever be.

What is more elegant? Flimsy plastic and soggy paper? Or a beautifully crafted glass mug?

The choice should be easy.

What you should be showing off is your glass coffee mugs. Not because you are trying to prove something but because you are trying to convince others to join the movement to reduce the waste in our landfills.

4. Because of the Taste of Your Beverage

When it comes to taste, glass cannot be beaten.

Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING, tastes better in glass.

Ever try that fancy “artisan water” that promises it tastes better and softer than normal water?

Often that water’s “better taste” and “softness” comes from the glass bottle it is packaged in.

That is because the material that will leave your beverage in its “purest” form is indubitably glass.

Materials like plastic, paper, and steel contain harmful chemical coatings that permeate the taste of your coffee. We all know the metallic tang that a steel cup can leave, or the hint of plastic from a water bottle left in the sun. Glass doesn’t need a chemical coating, and therefore it doesn’t leech anything into your beverage.

Not to mention, in comparison to single-use cups, glass coffee mugs will keep your beverage hotter longer, or cooler longer. So not only will your beverage taste better, it will also be fresher, maintaining the appropriate temperature, longer.

5. Because of Your Health

Glass coffee mugs are way better for your health than single-use cups.

Plastic is by far the worst kind of cup to drink from. Plastic leaches into your food and beverages, leading to nasty particles infiltrating whatever you may be eating or drinking. One of those particles is petrochemicals, which are full of toxic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) known as xeno-estrogens.

It is not uncommon for these particles to enter the food and bevrages that plastic may be in contact with. In fact, the State University of New York in Fredonia conducted tests on plastic water bottles and found that 93 percent of bottled water samples evaluated showed signs of contamination by microplastics.

It is also extremely important that you check that whatever plastic product you may be using does not contain BPA. The American Academy of Pediatrics determined that BPA, which is used to harden plastic containers, acts like estrogen in the body, potentially changing, “the timing of puberty, decreases fertility, increases body fat, and affects the nervous and immune systems.”

They also determined that phthalates, which make plastic flexible, can affect, “male genital development, increase childhood obesity, and contribute to cardiovascular disease." The Consumer Product Safety Commission went as far as banning the use of phthalates in child-care products like toys, teething rings, and other things that children may be tempted to put in their mouth.

Glass does not release any chemicals or carcinogens into your beverages, no matter their heat. If you are looking for the option that will be the best for your health, a glass coffee mug is the way to go.

6. Because of Saving Money

Carrying around a reusable glass coffee mug allows you to save money in numerous ways.

For starters, it encourages you to make your own coffee at home. Making coffee at home, instead of buying it out, saves tons of money. Just like the waste from single-use coffee cups piles up, so does the money you are spending on buying coffee out.

A glass coffee mug is also a great investment in comparison to other reusable mugs because it is a sturdy, durable material that lasts for a very long time. In fact, you will only need to replace your glass mug if you ever end up breaking it.

Not interested in making coffee at home? No sweat. You can still save money by using a glass coffee mug.

A lot of coffee houses now have deals for people who bring their own reusable cup. These deals normally are just around 10 cents off your order, but if you get a coffee a day, that can really add up. Mainstream places like Starbucks and Peet’s, have this deal, along with smaller coffee houses.

Another perk?

Coffee houses will often over-serve you coffee to fill to the top of the cup your brought from home.

7. Because They are Better Than Paper Cups

A reusable glass mug is way better for you, and for the planet, than a single-use plastic cup.

Paper disposable cups are often lined with polyethylene, a chemical that makes them hard to recycle and can also leech into your drink, making it slightly toxic. Paper cups are lined with polyethene to make them liquid-resistant so they don’t turn to mush when you add beverages to them.

Polyethylene isn’t the only thing that can leech into your drink from paper cups.

The glue that holds paper cups together can also dissolve into your beverage if it is hot. When the glue dissolves it releases trace amount of toxins into your beverage. Included in those toxins is melamine, which is a form of cyanide.

Yes, I mean the poison cyanide.

Glass coffee mugs require no added chemicals, no carcinogens, no chemicals, just glass, making it not even a contest when considering whether paper or glass is better for your health.

Not only are paper cups bad for your health, they are also terrible for the planet’s health.

Each year, over 20 million trees are cut down to make paper cups.

Paper cups also often have a cardboard sleeve, which frequently people throw out along with their non-recyclable disposable cup, creating even more waste.

Glass coffee mugs, like the KeepCup, don’t require a protective sleeve. The thick glass, and cork sleeve, keep the heat in using natural methods that don’t create unnecessary waste.

8. Because They are Better Than Plastic Cups

Already you have heard about all the downfalls of plastic: how chemicals from it can leach into food, and how it is generally not great for your health to drink out of it. Plastic cups, which can have health side effects like medical imbalances, disrupting hormones, and even giving you cancer, are also terrible for the planet. Many plastic cups that coffee houses use for iced to-go beverages use #5 polypropylene plastic. This type of plastic, although technically recyclable, is not accepted by most curbside programs.

It is not just plastic cups that re not sustainable or good for your health, but also plastic lids.

Plastic lids that come on top of paper and plastic cups often contain active carcinogens. Plastic coffee cup lids are typically made of plastic #6 which is also known ad polystyrene and commonly leaches styrene, a carcinogen.

They are also often very difficult to recycle, making them a terrible option in regard to sustainability.  

Glass coffee mugs on the other hand are silicone, carcinogen, chemical, and BPA free.

9. Because They are Better Than Styrofoam

Styrofoam is a sustainability and health nightmare.

It is absolutely terrible for the environment. When thrown out, Styrofoam can last in landfills for over 500 years. It does not degrade over time at all.

Whoever invented it REALLY had it out for the planet.

Even more unfortunate is that the EPA determined that the US throws out 25 billion Styrofoam cups every year.

That is 25 BILLION Styrofoam cups that will never degrade in our landfills.

Not only is it harmful for the planet, it is also harmful for you to digest. Styrofoam is made from polystyrene which is a petroleum derived material. The liquid from polystyrene, which is called styrene, is also carcinogenic. When polystyrene gets hot, because a hot beverage is inside it, it leaks styrene which can be very harmful to consume. 

10. Because They are Easy to Clean

It can be very frustrating when a product that promotes itself as being reusable is hard to clean.

This is NOT the case with glass coffee mugs.

Glass coffee mugs are super easy to clean. Feel free to scrub down their solid, durable surface after each use.

You won’t have to scrub that hard though because another great thing about glass coffee mugs is that they don’t stain. This makes glass a much better option than plastic and other materials that do stain.

Feel free to put oils, spices, whatever, in your glass coffee mug- you don’t just have to limit its contents to coffee.

The glass coffee mug is an awesome sustainable option that doesn’t leave stains!

11. Because You Can Drink Anything Out of Glass

Glass coffee mugs are perfect for any beverage- cold or hot.

The glass works really well in both trapping in heat, and keeping in the cold.

The glass is thick and sturdy in most glass mugs. The KeepCup not only has thick, durable glass to keep in the heat or cold, it also has a cork band around it to protect your hands from the temperature within.

Also, no mater the temperature your beverage will taste fresh, clean, and pure coming out of a glass coffee mug.

12. Because They Don’t Melt in the Dishwasher

Unlike plastic, glass does not melt in the dishwasher.

This makes glass, which is already incredibly easy to clean, way easier to clean.

It also makes washing your glass safer.

Why?

Because when materials like plastic melt in the dishwasher they often release microplastics. Those microplastics than disperse and cling to other dishes. Then, when you use those dishes, you are ingesting those microplastics. These microplastics contain the harmful chemicals and carcinogens I mentioned above.

Play it safe, use a glass coffee mug.

13. Because You have Incredible Glass Coffee Mug Options Like Our EcoRoots KeepCup!

It’s official: glass coffee mugs are awesome.

But now the question is: which mug should you buy?

I have mentioned it before, and I will mention it again: you NEED to try our EcoRoots KeepCup!

The KeepCup is an incredible glass coffee mug option. It has awesome features like a splash-proof, lid for locking in your beverages when you take them on-the-go. The lid is even removable so you have the option of drinking from the KeepCup with the lid on or off.

Perfect for coffee, tea, matcha, or whatever other beverage you need to get up and moving in the morning, enjoy the KeepCup while at home, while commuting, or at work. Don’t be scared to take the KeepCup with you places just because it is glass. The KeepCup is made from durable, fully tempered, soda-lime glass.

 It is not only thick to give it extra strength, but the thickness of the glass also keeps in the heat for whatever you are drinking. The Natural Cork band around it keeps in the heat so you can carry the KeepCup with ease- no matter the temperature of the beverage inside.

The Natural Cork band is made from upcycled wine corks and is even capable of being composted. The KeepCup is a completely sustainable option: it is zero-waste! It can be reused over and over again. The cup lids are completely, totally, 100% recyclable with glass and plastic.

The KeepCup’s shipping is also sustainable. EcoRoots does zero-waste and plastic-free shipping. The KeepCup comes in a 100% recyclable cardboard box.

Now that you are sold on the KeepCup, the question is, which size or color should you get?

The KeepCup comes in a medium or large size.

Looking for a size that is easy to transport? Try the medium size! It is only 12 ounces.

Looking to carry around a lot of liquid? Try the large! It is 16 ounces.

The color of the EcoRoots KeepCup’s lid comes in Latte-Rose or Latte-Caramel accents.

Taking care of the KeepCup is also easy- just remove the lid when you wash it, and handwash the lid and mug. There is no need to remove the cork!

Now you are ready to own a KeepCup! Feel free to use it for whatever your beverage need may be- it doesn’t just have to be restricted to coffee! It can also carry around tea, matcha, and other fruity drinks.

Try out the tea recipe below!

Homemade Chai Tea

Ingredients:

• 5 grams of ginger
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoons of black peppercorns
• 10 cloves
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5 black tea in compostable bags
• 1 liter of water

Directions:

1. Slice the ginger finely.
2. Crush the cloves slightly.
3. Crush the cardamom pods.
4. Add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods to a pot.
5. Add the water and bring to a boil.
6. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. After the water has simmered for 10 minutes, remove it from the heat.
8. Add the compostable tea bags for 2-3 minutes.
9. Remove and compost the tea bags.
10. Pour into your EcoRoots KeepCup.

Enjoy and Be the Change You Wish to See In the World!