Recycled Coffee Mugs to Green Your To-Go

8 by Becky Striepe on October 19, 2011

Getting coffee on the go can come with a lot of waste, but finding the right reusable to go mug can be a challenge!

My husband, Dave, and I are both big coffee drinkers, and that means that whether he's heading out to work or we're hitting the road for a vacation, we're most likely packing a to go coffee mug. The result is that Dave is sort of a collector of reusable mugs.

We've been through many, many reusable mugs in our house. Sometimes, they don't fit in the cup holder. Sometimes, they spill. Once, I donated some mugs because every time I drank from them, I got coffee on my nose. True story!

Despite donating so many mugs, we still have quite a stash of them, so when I came home from an out of town craft market to discover that he'd bought yet another pair of to go cups, I have to admit that I was not thrilled at first, but I'm coming around to this new set of mugs!

Aladding Sustain Mugs

I should note here that Aladdin hasn't sent us any samples, and we're not receiving any compensation from them for this review. So far, I'm really digging these mugs, and I thought you guys might, too!

The mugs he got are Aladdin Sustain mugs, and the first thing that gave me pause was that they're completely made from plastic. If you're a regular reader here, you know how I feel about plastic! But these mugs were different. According to the label, they make their mugs from a "proprietary mix of recycled plastics:"

Mug is made from 97% recycled food grade polypropylene containing 25% post consumer content and is recyclable where #5 plastic is collected.

97% recycled! Not too shabby. I was starting to feel a bit better about Dave's impulse buy. The mugs are also dishwasher safe, which is a big plus, and they say that they're microwave safe. Though I don't recommend microwaving plastic. Ever.

The mugs have a closure over the sippy part that snaps securely, and so far I haven't spilled coffee all over myself with these yet. That's a real feat, because I'm the clumsiest woman alive. At $10 apiece, they're pretty reasonably priced, too! Dave picked up our pair of mugs at Target, and you can also find them online at Shop Aladdin.

http://www.ambius.co.uk Simon Green

For storing the coffee, I’ve found used candy jars are perfect. No need to buy expensive coffee jars when these glass ones look so much nicer.

Becky Striepe

What a cool idea! What sort of candy jars do you mean?

Simon

Thanks! You can get these tall glass jars full of candy around 12″ tall in England (I’m not sure about the USA!). When you finish eating the candy, peel the labels off and you’ll have a really nice tall, clear jar perfect for storing coffee. You could decorate yourself using glass paint or leave it just as it is. I really like your recycled coffee mugs idea too!

Becky Striepe

Oh, very cool! I’ve used a Mason jar (like a canning jar) as a “water bottle” before. They’re also handy as a wine glass at parties, because you can put the lid on between sips to avoid messy spills. Especially handy if there are snacks and not much seating – you can snack without spilling your drink!

http://ecopolitology.org Timothy Hurst

Becky!

It must be a LOAK thing because I bought the brown one myself! I love it. I like how the lid really snaps shut and has a good rubber gasket to keep it from spilling. My cup did two flips out of my center console last week and not a drop was spilled.

If Aladdin isn’t sponsoring GreenUPGRADER yet, maybe they should be!

Becky Striepe

Oh rad! I definitely dig mine. Clearly, they should sponsor us.

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http://Facebook Jennifer

My husband and I have also purchased these mugs from Target! I love them and will buy a few more b/c they are recycled and worth the price.