Plastic, Plastic, and more Plastic: Here’s the First Step to take at your Local Cafe

On my way to purchase my prized salted caramel latte at my school cafe, the familiar, charming idiosyncrasies once again come into view—the comforting atmosphere, the hard-at-work baristas, and the ready-to-go assortment of delicious snacks and drinks. 

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As I nestle into a corner of the common lounge—sipping leisurely on my salted caramel latte—a harrowing image from a New York Times article appears on my screen: a swirling island of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean, called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—an amalgamation of plastic cups, bags, containers, and other human waste. My gaze shifts to the cup of syrupy caffeine on my table. I can’t help but picture it as an empty, discarded shred of plastic swimming aimlessly in the wreckage, a coffee bean logo still emblazoned on it.

Year after year, the cycle continues: we produce, consume, and discard. 400 million tons of plastic waste annually, with only 9% properly recycled (Wakefield) (Mwamba and Mlaba). The rest? Floating, buried, forgotten. But never gone.

How do we fix this mess? How do we reverse years of waste, habit, and carelessness? If you were hoping for an easy answer, you’re in the wrong place. Because there’s no simple one-fits-all solution.  

A Google form I circulated amongst our students, faculty, and staff revealed that 81% of our community admits to using single-use cups “every time” or “most of the time” when purchasing drinks at the cafe. Furthermore, over 95% acknowledged that they were “aware” or “somewhat aware” of the environmental impact of single-use cups, yet continue to use them. 

I’m not here to claim that I’m flawless. I, too, am guilty of opting for plastic cups out of convenience. As one student put it, “I’m too lazy…it’s just me—one person.” Another conceded, “I forget, and I don’t even know if our cafe allows reusable cups.” And many simply said, “It’s just easier.” These are all excuses that I’ve made myself. And if I—a student writing an op-ed about this issue—still cave to convenience, what does that say about how deeply ingrained these habits are? 

Even our school role models aren’t perfect. As I arrive at school every morning, I see our Head of School with his daily cappuccino—in a single-use cup. Faculty and staff often impose the onus of change on students, yet their actions set a precedent. If our leaders continue contributing to plastic waste, how can we expect students to change?

Not to mention, using a reusable cup at your local cafe is just as easy as using a plastic one. You can use almost any reusable cup for your drinks, like an unused tumbler at home or a day-to-day water bottle you bring to school. 

We all know that the global community is struggling with the plastic waste crisis. When global efforts fall short, ask yourself—what can you do in your community to make a difference? A first step as simple as bringing a reusable cup is a great start.  

So, next time you stop by your local cafe, bring a reusable cup. Let’s be a global community that values sustainability, not just in words, but in action.

Works Cited

Mwamba, Seneo, and Khanyi Mlaba. "12 Facts About Plastic Pollution You Need to Know." Giving Compass, 29 May 2024, givingcompass.org/article/10-facts-about-plastic-pollution-you-absolutely-need-to-know. Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.

Wakefield, Faith. "Top 25 recycling facts and statistics for 2022." World Economic Forum, 22 June 2022, www.weforum.org/stories/2022/06/recycling-global-statistics-facts-plastic-paper/#:~:text=Of%20the%2040%20million%20tons,equivalent%20of%20290%20million%20pounds. Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.