Around 50 billion disposable drink cups are used every year in the US, but in the city of Petaluma, we will see if Americans have the discipline to reduce this footprint.
The city numbers around 60,000 people, and will participate in the Reuseable Cup Project. The aim is to furnish 30 local restaurants, from Starbucks to Taco Bell, with identical, durable, plastic drink cups, which customers and diners can use and then either leave on the table, or deposit in a network of dropoff bins around the city.
Should make it so you can just throw it in any no-sort recycling bin... Then collect them from the recycling center. No need for a whole new bin system.
80/20 rule. If it is successful 80% of the time, it is actually a success. The 20 is how to hone the program, not how to point out how it will only fail.
…Petaluma’s residents will not be charged a penny more for their drinks…
YET.
There is no way this program can so much as break even without someone paying the bills.
Even if all the employees are volunteers, trucks that empty the bins and deliver the cups, plus washing equipment for said cups, rent for the space to house the trucks and washing equipment, maintenance, utilities, etc., aren’t free.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to see this program succeed and expand. Without knowing more about how they’re funded, though, I’m skeptical.
I love recycling, but I am also skeptical. Not even of the infrastructure itself, idk I guess the idea could work, but the people are so fucking stupid. And lazy. This will lead to failure.
I see people throwing away full, half-full cups. Even just cups of ice, that ice melts, now there's water. All this sticky-sweet refuse will attract insects. What's going to become of this gross mess? Who's going to clean it up for reuse? Will it be cleaned well enough?
Sugar is addictive and plenty of people lack self control. If you include a giant source of sugar with a meal for a few cents people are going to buy it. If you don't include it you can increase public health and reduce pollution. Unfortunately people don't like to be told what is good for them.