Not-so-fun fact: 16 billion paper cups are used for coffee EVERY YEAR 

(Do me favor, please: read this post in your best game-show host/infomercial voice.  It makes it much more fun!)   

Would you like to save over 6.5 million trees?  How about 4 billion gallons of water?  What about powering nearly 54,000 homes for a year?  It can be done!  And it’s simple!  Switch to reusable mugs!  Yes, that’s right, you heard it here first!

Did you know that paper beverage cups are laminated with a plastic resin that not only prevents the paper from absorbing liquids and leaking, but also prevents them from being recycled?  Thaaaaaat’s right!  Paper cups are NOT recyclable!  

Would you like to have more cash in your pocket?  Of course you do!  Many coffee shops, including our own café, offer a discount to customers that bring their own mug.  Some places will charge you for only a small beverage regardless of mug size (many thanks to Kevin and the café staff for that!) and others will give you a flat discount, like the 10¢ Starbucks policy.  If you buy one Starbucks coffee every day using your own mug, that’s a savings of almost $40 per year!  And who wouldn’t want to have an extra $40 at the end of the year?  I know I would!

So, whether you are in your office or on the road, you can save money and the environment by switching from paper cups to reusable mugs.  Happy Caffeinating!

Thanks to the Nature Conservancy and the Daily Green for the information!

http://www.nature.org/greenliving/gogreen/everydayenvironmentalist/reusable-coffee-mugs.xml

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/reusable-coffee-mug-0718#slide-19

Please join the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and the City of Pittsfield in cleaning up the Tierney Conservation Area on November 3, 2013.

Be sure to wear old clothes and sturdy shoes as you will get dirty!  I would also recommend bringing some water (in a reusable bottle, of course!)

Date: Sunday, November 3, 2013

Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Tierney Conservation Area, Jason St, Pittsfield, MA (just north of the railroad bridge)

Note: Cleanup will be cancelled in the event of heavy rains and thunderstorms

I’d highly recommend signing up for a cleanup if you are interested in conservation, improving our communities and wild spaces, or just looking to have fun in the out-of-doors.  I’ve done a few of these cleanups with BEAT and they are a BLAST!

To sign up for the cleanup, or if you have any questions, please contact Jane at BEAT jane@thebeatnews.org or 413-230-7321.  You can also contact me (Roz) via email: rbroch@berkshirecc.edu with any questions or suggestions.

Hope to see you there!