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The Coffee Made Me Do It

It's all coffee's fault. It's so luscious and warm. It makes me do things I shouldn't. Bad, naughty things.

I remember the first time I tasted the dark, nutty flavor of my favorite beverage with striking exactness. I was 12 years old and at my grandmother's wake. In need of something to occupy my mind, I snuck over to the dingy funeral parlor kitchen and poured myself a steaming cup of coffee out of a giant pecolator. After adding a gallon of half and half and 16 packs of sugar to my java, I had my first sip. It was love. Or a caffeinated sugar high. But either way, it was amazing.

Ever since then, I've been hooked. I became a regular coffee drinker at 16, and now I get horrible, there-must-be-a-nail-in-my-brain headaches if I don't have at least a cup.

It's a bad situation, which brings me to my point.

My addiction to coffee has caused me to use plastic several times over the past few months. Specifically, I've gone to Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks without my travel mug and gotten plastic lids.

Arg! I know I could have avoided those plastic lids, but I'm so weak. Coffee is evil, but yet so heavenly.

Coffee, why must you make me do bad things? Why?!?!?!
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Heather said…
Not only do I LOVE coffee, but I am a coffee shop owner...that coffee can make you do some crazy things. I applaud your efforts, I wish there was an alternative to those plastic lids!!!! I look forward to checking back in.
February 11, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Neal Groothuis said…
I just got a travel mug a couple of days ago. Not for any Earth-saving, being-a-good-person kind of reason, but so I can schlep café Americano from home rather than drinking the swill available around my office. However, I suppose I can bask in little bit of warm hippie fuzziness as well, knowing that I'm not pitching plastic lids and waxed cardboard cups on days I bring my own java.

It really is a great addiction, isn't it? Sitting down first thing in the morning with some hot, bitter brew is as fine a way to start the day as I can think of.
February 12, 2009 at 6:45 AM
Jen said…
If I don't have the time to let my drink cool off, I'll ask for grande order in a venti cup so that I don't have to bother with a lid or slosh scalding hot tea all over myself. Most of the time, the workers are really nice about it.
February 12, 2009 at 7:51 AM
Anonymous said…
I'll take the blame for some of this.

-Prz
February 12, 2009 at 9:36 AM
ThreadBeaur said…
The caffeine need is strong. I often need a little lift in the mid afternoon. When I forget my mug, I always try to reuse my Starbucks cup more than once. Wash, reuse. Since I HAD TO HAVE a cup, I might as well reuse it.
February 15, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Anonymous said…
I was on a ferry for about eleventy-twelve hours last month and the only option for coffee was plastic cups :(

'Luckily' the coffee was awful so I only drank enough to avoid the dreaded headache.

Check out Vegware.us for vegetable based compostable lids and encourage your local coffee shop to get them :)
February 17, 2009 at 4:53 AM
Anonymous said…
I'm not sure about you, but I find myself with a *ton* of travel coffee mugs. My husband and I seem to get them as gifts for every possible occasion. I have enough to keep one in both of our cars, in the house, and at my work.

By the way, do you buy ground coffee or whole beans? I remember some of our grocery stores when I was little had freshly ground coffee and beans in bulk, you could always bring your own container there.

-JSC
February 18, 2009 at 5:49 AM
Viki said…
Oh, you had your first taste from a percolator - no wonder you're hopelessly addicted! I'm equally addicted - I don't think I drink it in excess, but I do get headaches if I don't get my daily fix. You should try and find a percolator somewhere, if you can. The one I have is almost all made of metal, but it has a plastic handle. I bet you could find one of all metal, though. Percolated coffee is the best!
February 27, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Stephany said…
LOL, that's funny! I personally hate coffee, and your story is just another reason hy I'm glad about it.
March 19, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Anonymous said…
Um isn't styrofoam made from plastic? So what's the use of requesting coffee with no lid? No brainer to me.
March 19, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Shelby S. said…
Yes, addicting habits, such as coffee, can be a dangerous thing- as can shopping at chain stores such as Starbucks and Dunkin' Doughnuts.

These businesses transport, store, and sell their products with such excess packaging (much of it plastic), that denying a single plastic lid, whilst supporting their industry, infact *encourages* the consumption of plastic. Now, I don't mean to rag on your cause- your effort is commendable and your blog seems to inspire a lot of people. However, if you truly want to live a sustainable, healthy lifestyle, avoid those businesses all together. Use your blog to encourage others to do the same. Get your coffee fix at a local, non-corporate owned shop that's not so consumed with marketing and packaging. For a humorous article about one buisness' attempt to *strip* away the packaging go here: http: //voices.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2008/08/naked_for_a_cause.html
March 19, 2009 at 9:39 PM
Anonymous said…
I'll ask for the ceramic cup before I place my order of coffee. I also make sure I nose my way in before whichever friend I'm meeting that day, because if they go first, they inevitably forget to ask for the "here" cup and get the "to go" cup.

Staws ... another subject ... WHY do eateries put straws in water or other beverages? Straws should only be used as convenience if going out or driving with your drink. My compadres still think I'm weird when I tell the waiter/ess ... no straw please.
March 23, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Melvin D Jones said…
LOL, just dropping a friendly line to show some "green" support and to agree that sentiment of not doing without the java monkey on your back, brb - need a refill. Anyway, I'm new to your blog and am an avid recycler (still trying to get more of the family to come on in). Just to be clear, I work in a plastic factory/company, yet manage to make only one(1) grocery sack worth of trash a week. Keep on recycling.
March 30, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Anonymous said…
Coffee helps you "Do Stupid things faster with more energy!" ;-)
April 2, 2009 at 12:05 AM
reageer: said…
why not try these edible coffee-cups ?
warning: contain chocolate, so even more addictive :-)
http://plastiek-stop.blogspot.com/search?q=koffie
April 2, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Anonymous said…
Has anyone ever seen any lab results testing the Keurig coffee for vinyl chloride (after brewing)? Should I be concerned about the hot water coming through that plastic k-cup?
December 30, 2010 at 9:21 AM
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