Bestseller: environmentally-friendly thermal mug

The number of hot beverage packagings thrown away is on the up – in contrast to plastic carrier bags. So now we’re saving on bags, but we’re throwing a bunch of cups around! A German citizen gets through an average of 60 disposable cups a year, a cost that is borne by the environment. What many do not know is that because the apparently cardboard cups contain up to seven per cent plastic, they cannot be recycled, or only at great expense. Only a single recycling plant in Germany can cleanly separate paper fibres and plastics – and this is located in Merseburg. Thanks to its solvent-based Newcycling® technology, the plant in Merseburg works economically and ecologically and produces pure granulates from the waste with properties similar to those of new plastics. That sounds like a great solution, I thought to myself. But there is a catch: the cups must first be selected from other waste and then transported to Merseburg.

Overcoming hurdles

More environmentally friendly are, with regular use, reusable solutions. For a long time it was unusual to take your own containers into the shops. In the meantime, however, I see more and more tin cans, Tupperware or glasses going over the counter. However, hygiene regulations are a major hurdle: When it comes to coffee, for example, the cup has to be rinsed on site if it is heavily soiled. It must also not come into contact with the filler neck or negatively influence other foods. While researching the subject of coffee cups, I also learned something: drinks that you drink on the spot – in a café or restaurant – are subject to the standard tax rate of 19 percent. “Coffee to go” is subject to the reduced tax rate of seven percent. However, only if it is a mixed milk drink. In other words, if the coffee contains at least 75 percent milk or milk products of the finished product. Of course, it makes no difference from a tax point of view whether I transport my drink to take away in a disposable or reusable container. However, some cafés offer a discount if you bring your own coffee mug. And let’s be honest: The coffee tastes much better from a thermal cup than from a paper cup.

Krones thermal cups as ideal everyday companions

From our own experience, we know that our coffee consumption at work or on the way there is increasing significantly.  And it is precisely this correlation that is one of the reasons why reusable thermal cups have been available at all Krones locations in Germany since July 2019. In just the first four months, more than 500 cups in Krones design have already been sold over the counter, more than half of them in Neutraubling alone. The Krones thermal mug is made of stainless steel and plastic, and fits in perfectly with the Eurest coffee stations on the factory premises. It holds a good 400 millilitres, is drip- and leak-proof and can also be washed in the dishwasher.

Not only do I think it’s really good, but so do my colleagues – Maximilian Feuerer, for example, a trainee in Profile 21 and a member of the Neutraubling Youth Council. He has also recently become the proud owner of a Krones thermal cup. Environmental protection is also an issue for him: “We simply have to do a whole lot more. Getting rid of disposable cups is a start. The thermal mug is a great alternative, and I especially like the elegant look!”

Whether it’s coffee, tea or soup – hot drinks from the reusable cup do something good not only for us, but also for the environment! How is it with you? Do you drink your coffee between door and hinge? Or do you treat yourself to a classic “real” cup of coffee when you are sitting quietly and drinking coffee?