California city approves 25-cent fee on disposable cups

[Cow Poke]

California city approves 25-cent fee on disposable cups

Will fast food containers be next?

SAN FRANCISCO

Patrons of restaurants and coffee shops in Berkeley, California, who don't bring a reusable cup for their beverage will have to pay a 25-cent fee for a disposable cup as part of an ordinance approved by city officials to reduce restaurant waste.

Berkeley's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the fee on single-use cups that will take effect January 2020.

"The goal is to transition Berkeley from throwaway to reusable food ware, to incentivize people to bring their own cup," said Councilwoman Sophie Hahn, who co-authored the ordinance with Mayor Jesse Arreguin.

The ordinance, called Disposable-Free Dining, also requires restaurants to provide takeout containers that are compostable by mid-2020 and to provide only reusable plates and utensils for those eating in. It also says other disposable items, like lids and stirrers, can only be offered when requested.

Restaurants would keep all proceeds, and it would be up to them to decide what to do with the extra money. The funds, for example, could be used to replace plastic cutlery for more environmentally friendly silverware, she added.

[mossrose]

[Cow Poke]

So, I'm bringing my own reusable coffee cup....

coffee cup.jpg

Fill 'er up!!!

[mossrose]

So, I'm bringing my own reusable coffee cup....

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34654[/ATTACH]

Fill 'er up!!!

We get coffee once a month from 7-11, 50 cents for whatever size your-own-mug you bring in, as compared to different prices for whatever size you use of their disposable cups.

And I get coffee at MelMak's grocer's coffee shop once in a while, about $1 for a medium your-own-mug. These are not including tax, of course, you have to add 5%, but I am willing to pay less and use my own mug.

I just don't like the thought of legislating it. We are lawed to death.

[Mountain Man]

This sort of reminds me of towns that try to encourage recycling by charging you per bag of garbage but pick up recycling for free.

[Starlight]

It's fairly common for cafes here in NZ to give a similar discount for people who bring their own cups with a view to supporting reuse and waste reduction.

Are you guys against attempts to reduce waste?

[guacamole]

I think anything we can do to reduce landfill waste is probably good.

[mossrose]

It's fairly common for cafes here in NZ to give a similar discount for people who bring their own cups with a view to supporting reuse and waste reduction.

Are you guys against attempts to reduce waste?

No one here has said anything of the sort.

[Starlight]

So, I'm bringing my own reusable coffee cup....

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34654[/ATTACH]

Fill 'er up!!!

Well the cup has to be able to fit under their coffee machines in practice. Also espresso coffee is made with a specific numbers of shots in it, so if they filled it up with additional hot water you'd get very very weak and horrible tasting coffee. Any remotely competent vendor would hence try to give the you the right ratio of hot water for the number of coffee shots you'd purchased, and hence give you only a normal amount of coffee in the bottom of any large mug.

My own reusable mug is one of these...



I will admit there are times I wish a slightly bigger one had been available to choose from when I purchased it.

[Cow Poke]

Well the cup has to be able to fit under their coffee machines in practice. Also espresso coffee is made with a specific numbers of shots in it, so if they filled it up with additional hot water you'd get very very weak and horrible tasting coffee. Any remotely competent vendor would hence try to give the you the right ratio of hot water for the number of coffee shots you'd purchased, and hence give you only a normal amount of coffee in the bottom of any large mug.

My own reusable mug is one of these...



I will admit there are times I wish a slightly bigger one had been available to choose from when I purchased it.

My favorite was this...

nickel mug.jpg

Because....

In April 1983, Whataburger launched a new promotion: Customers could buy a special mug that would get them as much coffee as they could drink for a nickel, as long as it was served in that mug. Intended to last for a year, the promotion lasted all the way until September 30, 1997, when it was finally discontinued. The mugs are today a yard sale staple, and if you bring yours to a Whataburger you still might get lucky if they’re feeling generous!

[Cow Poke]

I think anything we can do to reduce landfill waste is probably good.

Yeah, I just think it's FAR better when it's the choice of the retail establishment than foisted on them by law. I would prefer an incentive - like a tax abatement - for those who complied, rather than... well, a carrot rather than a club.

[guacamole]

My favorite was this...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34659[/ATTACH]

Because....

In April 1983, Whataburger launched a new promotion: Customers could buy a special mug that would get them as much coffee as they could drink for a nickel, as long as it was served in that mug. Intended to last for a year, the promotion lasted all the way until September 30, 1997, when it was finally discontinued. The mugs are today a yard sale staple, and if you bring yours to a Whataburger you still might get lucky if they’re feeling generous!

Cool mug. We don't have Whataburger in Illinois. I used to collect coffee mugs in my few travels as a souvenir both useful/kitschy. Then my wife started her own garage sales.

Anyway, someone's selling those for $17.99 a pop on ebay. Geez.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Wha...frcectupt=true

[guacamole]

Yeah, I just think it's FAR better when it's the choice of the retail establishment than foisted on them by law. I would prefer an incentive - like a tax abatement - for those who complied, rather than... well, a carrot rather than a club.

Sometimes the stick of the tax can be effective at changing behaviors to benefit the wider public good.

[Cow Poke]

Sometimes the stick of the tax can be effective at changing behaviors to benefit the wider public good.

But they're not "taxing" them - they are forcing them to charge extra for merchandise they sell.



(stop-n-rob trivia --- don't know if they still do it, but in the old days, places like 7/11 didn't actually sell sodas (Cokes and Pepsi and what not) - they sold CUPS! They can inventory cups, they cannot inventory fluid flowing from fountains activated by customers. This kinda throws a wrinkle in that, as there would be no cup to inventory if the customer brings their own reusable one)

[Cow Poke]

Cool mug. We don't have Whataburger in Illinois. I used to collect coffee mugs in my few travels as a souvenir both useful/kitschy. Then my wife started her own garage sales.

Anyway, someone's selling those for $17.99 a pop on ebay. Geez.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Wha...frcectupt=true

Whataburger has a cult-like following in Texas.