What is a Green Cup? The one you already have!
The City of Lexington is partnering with local coffee shops to encourage folks to bring their reusable cups! These Green Cup partners have a dedicated reusable cup discount for customers:
- A Cup of Common Wealth (105 Eastern Ave.)
- Good Foods Co-op (455 Southland Dr.)
- Kenwick Table (201 Owsley Ave.)
- Lussi Brown Coffee Bar (114 Church St.)
- Third Street Stuff and Coffee (257 N. Limestone #1)
But don’t be shy! If they’re not on this list, that doesn’t mean they don’t take reusable cups. It never hurts to ask! Always bring your reusable cup to be more sustainable, healthy, and frugal.
Why Green Cup?
Most of us have a cabinet full of mugs and travel coffee cups. Green Cup is designed to make them part of your routine, just like your water bottle. The program highlights existing discounts that local coffee shops offer for those who choose to reuse, hopefully reducing the number of paper cups that wind up in our landfill!
The waste from single-use coffee cups really adds up… and it’s bad for us and for the planet.
- Globally, at least 500 billion disposable cups are used every year.
- In the U.S, 136 million disposable paper cups head to the landfill every day.
- In Lexington, that works out to be about 22,475 disposable paper cups a day
Waste reduction and microplastics
Single-use paper cups contain a plastic lining to help keep your drink hot and stop your cup from becoming soggy from heat and moisture. One study found that 1.5 trillion plastic particles leach from one 12oz single-use paper cup. And heat increases the leaching of plastics.
The Empower Lexington plan calls for an increase in community programs that encourage reuse and reduction. That’s where Green Cup comes in! Green Cup is a partnership between the City’s Division of Environmental Services and some of our local coffee shops that helps raise awareness of the benefits of choosing reusable. Reducing the amount of waste generated leads to reducing the emissions from waste, which leads to a better Lexington for everyone.
Would you like to be a Green Cup partner?
Lexington is aiming to achieve net zero by 2050. This needs to be a community effort, not just a government effort. We all play a role! Remembering your reusable cup is an easy place to start. The little things really do add up.
If you’re a coffee shop or other business that serves drinks in disposable cups and are interested in being a Green Cup member, email livegreen@lexingtonky.gov.
Businesses do not need to be enrolled in the Green Check program to participate.
