Washable cups vs disposable?

[Love my Mutts!!!]

We just got a water filtration system for the office- MUCH nicer than the bottled water we'd been buying for ourselves and our clients.

I had planned on getting some reusable cups to give clients their after-session water in, so we wouldn't have so much trash to deal with (and also be more eco-friendly, etc.). Throwing away a disposable cup is almost the same as throwing away a water bottle, only they can at least refill the cups while they're here and/or take them with them when they leave, and the cups are somewhat "stackable" so don't have to take up *as much* space in the trash can.

I was told this morning, in casual conversation, that "Isn't there some regulation about washing/reusing cups in a place of business- don't you have to have some sort of license for that?" t017 Now, I am not going to go get a "reusable cup license"- I'll keep buying disposable cups to use for clients if it comes to THAT. But is there some sort of hygiene consideration with that? I mean, we reuse the same cups (for cupping), hot stones, sheets, towels, etc., for our clients- washing them in between. Why can't I "adequately wash a drinking cup"?

Or is this a moot point- just get the reusable cups and go with it?

 

[ken.hero]

Washable cups vs disposable?

I think what this person may have meant was resturants have a certian way dishes need to be cleaned. Washed, rinsed, and put into a sanatizing sloution

 

[sweetiepie]

Washable cups vs disposable?

What I thought. We'll stick with disposable cups. Thanks.

 

[Shafagh H]

Washable cups vs disposable?

Our state regulations state that bottled water or an approved water system with disposable cups must be provided. But we also serve complimentary food at times, for spa parties and our larger packages and not everything we use during those times is disposable.

 

[JPUK]

Washable cups vs disposable?

The friendlier people can be to the environment the better

 

[sgt snak3]

Washable cups vs disposable?

Disposable. Unless you wish to meet the same sanitation standards as restaurants. Even then, your clients will feel better about disposable cups because they will KNOW that no one else drank out of it before them.

 

[Brandie C]

Washable cups vs disposable?

Disposable. In my area, paper cups are compostable, so they go with my yard waste. I don't have to have a food handler's license or sanitize the cups. I've also replaced paper towels for cleaning the table with inexpensive white wash cloths that I sanitize. My trash is almost zero now.

 

[Soggy Waffles]

Washable cups vs disposable?

Compostable paper cups. That's a good idea. I know the plastic ones we've been using are recyclable (who knows what they really do with "recyclables" these days?), but compostable could work even better.

 

[Unixmen]

Washable cups vs disposable?

(who knows what they really do with "recyclables" these days?)

You will, after doing a bit of homework. Does your locality pickup recyclables and/or compostable? In San Francisco they do both, although not all plastics can be recycled through the city's contractor. You should be able to get info about how the waste streams are dealt with in your area, even get a tour if you want, although hopefully a local reporter has already done that and written it up for you to track down.

Compostables are superior if they're not ending up in a landfill. Recyclables second best, again assuming they don't end up in a landfill. If there are no options for avoiding landfill in your area, then washing glasses it is.

 

[Bruno R]

Washable cups vs disposable?

Thanks, Josh. You're right- I need to do my homework on how our city handles the recyclables they pick up from us. I honestly don't know that I'd want to bring home compostable cups from our office; they'd have to go into our own compost bin, and we can't handle too much volume right now. I know that's not very "green-thinking" of me, but I have to learn to conserve my own time and energy as well as everything else, LOL!

 

[Darlene]

Washable cups vs disposable?

On a side note, cities will waste thousands, if not millions of dollars separating out crap they don't recycle from what people toss in their cans. For instance, we only live 12 min. out of the city of San Diego yet La Mesa recycles more than the city of San Diego does. La Mesa will recycle many of the plastic cups and other items that the city of San Diego won't recycle. The problems occur when folks living within the city of San Diego toss items with certain codes written on the item into their trash bin thinking it'll be recycled and not realizing that no, it won't be and the city has to pay that much more to separate it out.

Anyone can learn what their city will recycle just by using google. It will save your city a lot of money if you only put the recyclables accepted by the city into the bin and therefore make the whole process easier and hopefully more improvements to come in the future.......


I only see five clients a day (five days a week), I use washable glassware and will continue to do so until a health inspector personally comes to my office and tells me differently.