Written By Nate. On Nov 22. In Composting, Daily Life, Green Living, Indiana, Sustainable living

I am a coffee fiend.  Notice I did not say that I’m a coffee addict although I’m sure my friends and family would make a very different testament regarding that label.  My everlasting search for a good “cuppa joe” exceeded my expectations at my favorite local coffee shop yesterday.

Yes, I said a local coffee shop.  I do frequent Starbucks and am a fan when I can’t locate a local barrista to pour me the perfect cup.  My favorite local shop here in Evansville, Indiana is the Penny Lane Coffeehouse. Located in the historic downtown arts district, Penny Lane is an eclectic collecting place for people seeking art, organic vegan eats and of course organic, fair-trade coffee drinks and tea.

My cup of coffee sent me over the moon yesterday when I realized they had switched up their paper to-go cups.  Emblazoned across the bottom of the paper cups are the words “100% Compostable – Paper with BioPlastic Lining”.  If you read my blog regularly, you know I have a compost heap going in our tiny backyard and divert most of our organic garbage to that oasis of renewal.  Paper coffee cups and drink cups have always bothered me when you think about the amount of waste involved and that’s why I always try to take them home and put them in the recycle bin.

With these new cups though, the environmental impact becomes even easier because I can simply toss them in my composter when I get home, only to feed my garden several months down the road.  I wondered how truly compostable these paper coffee cups were, so I visited the manufacturer’s website.  World Centric claims their cups will break down in a home composter in just 2-4 months.  While most paper cups are lined with polyethylene, a plastic that isn’t recyclable or bio-degradable, World Centric’s paper cup is lined with polylactic acid or PLA.

That PLA lining is made with starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), cellulose, soy protein, lactic acid and other ingredients that are said to break down without any hazards or toxins left behind.  The cups are made with sustainably harvested fibers and they say they use Elemental Chlorine Free bleach to whiten the cups.

I’m going to see just how long it takes for World Centric’s paper cups to break down in my compost pile.  I’ve tossed them in and I’ll let you know what kind of results I notice.  Meanwhile, I do like the fact that someone is trying to produce to-go containers with less of an environmental impact than Styrofoam, plastics or non-recyclable papers.  Maybe I’m going to see just how long it takes for World Centric’s paper cups to break down in my compost pile.  I’ve tossed them in and I’ll let you know what kind of results I notice.  Meanwhile, I do like the fact that someone is trying to produce to-go containers with less of an environmental impact than Styrofoam, plastics or non-recyclable papers.  Maybe Starbucks can jump on that bandwagon and really evoke some world change with their cups of joe!