Best Healthiest Reusable Coffee Cup Travel Mug Options for Hot Beverages 2018

Everybody has their hot beverage of choice whether it be coffee, tea, or another warming drink. Most people also like to drink and get their coffee on the go but very few people bring their own reusable coffee cup when they fill up at their local coffee shop (even though they are encouraged to do so by the coffee shops themselves.) Starbucks, for example, offers a discount on your beverage when you provide your own cup. That said, people most people still don’t bring in their reusable cups and 4 billion Starbucks to-go cups are thrown away each year.

5 Reasons to Use Your Own Reusable Coffee Cups

• Reduce Waste – Most disposable coffee cups are lined with a plastic resin called polyethylene to keep beverages from leaking. This also keeps the cup from being able to be recycled at most recycling facilities. Styrofoam is another popular option for on the go hot beverage containers. According to a Washington University report, most of the Styrofoam disposed of today will still be present 500 years from now. Add on top of that, the lid, the straws or drink stopper, and the sleeves (only part that can easily be recycled but usually is not) are typically thrown away and that is a whole lot of unnecessary waste that you do not need to be contributing to, especially if grabbing a cup of joe on the road is a daily habit.
• Reduce Emissions – Each disposable coffee cup used is responsible for .25 lbs of carbon (CO2) greenhouse gas emissions. According to this site, 500 billion disposable cups are being manufactured each year and are responsible for approximately 125 billion pounds of CO2. Hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) used in the production of Styrofoam result in air pollution, causing significant damage to the ozone layer.
• Healthier – Polystyrene, the type of plastic used in most disposable coffee cup lids, is a suspected carcinogen and neurotoxin, especially when heated. Polystyrene is made from styrene, a petroleum byproduct that can be found in plastics, resins, and Styrofoam. According to this EPA report, it can be linked to negative effects on the central nervous system including, headache, fatigue, weakness, hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy. Heating plastic of any kind leaches the toxic compounds of the plastic into the food or beverage and these leached toxins are known to disrupt hormone function. The healthiest option when drinking hot beverages is to drink them out of glass, ceramic, or stainless steel.
• Better Taste: All those toxins and plastics leaching into your hot beverage definitely have an effect on the overall taste. Most people report improved taste when switching away from plastic and other disposable options.
• Money Saving: As mentioned before, many coffee houses offer a small discount when brining your own coffee cup and that adds up! Of course the best way to save money is to make your own hot beverage at home and put it in your reusable cup before leaving the house.

Healthy Reusable Coffee Cup Hot Beverage Cup Options

When choosing a reusable coffee cup, it is important that you not only like the design and material but also that it fits with how you will be using it.

Stainless Steel Reusable Coffee Cup Travel Mug Options

Stainless Steel is the number one choice for most people it has the advantages of being both safe and durable while also helping to keep your beverages hot or cold for many hours due to vacuum insulation featured in all the cups below.

Simple Modern Vacuum Insulated travel mugs come in a variety of colors and sizes, are sweat free, and fit in most cup holders.

For a dishwasher safe option that comes with its own reusable stainless steel straw, Atlin makes a 30 oz stainless steel insulated travel mug.

If you would like a leak and spill proof option check out Contigo AUTOSEAL Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug.

Or you could go straight old school thermos style with Thermos Stainless King 40oz Beverage Bottle.

Glass Reusable Coffee Cup Travel Mug Options

Glass may not always be the most practical for on the go use, but these beautifully designed glass reusable coffee cup options make it a lot easier to drink out of glass outside of the home.

KeepCup Reusable Coffee Cup is made out of durable fully tempered and recyclable glass

Joco Glass reusable Coffee Cups come with an ergonomic silicone lid and thermal silicone sleeve.

If glass is your material of choice you could also try out this double walled travel tumbler option with glass on the inside.

Ceramic Reusable Coffee Cup Travel Mug Options

Ceramic is a very popular option for coffee at home and on the go. If ceramic is your material of choice there are many options to choose from.

Willow and Everett has some beautiful ceramic options that are not only microwave and dishwasher safe but also come with silicone lids and their own tea infusers.

Or you could check out my favorite Pesticides Suck! Ceramic travel mug from Mountain Rose Herbs.

 

Some other unique reusable travel options are Espro Stainless Steel Travel Coffee Press and Travel Mug all in one so you not only can drink your coffee on the go but brew it as well. If tea is your hot beverage of choice like it is mine Mountain Rose Herbs has this wonderful Tea-To-Go Glass Infuser. If size and portability is your number one concern, Stojo offers collapsible silicone reusable travel mugs so there is no excuse not to always have one with you.

Many reusable water bottle options like some of the ones I have written about here, can also be used for hot beverages.

I hope you are convinced to start carrying and using your own reusable travel mug when on the go, for both the benefits to your health as well as the benefits to the environment. Small changes add up in a big way. If you grab coffee on the go regularly make sure to put your reusable mug by your keys or bag the night before so you remember to bring it with you. You may also want to keep an additional one in your car for the days you forget or if you don’t get it on the go that often.

The important thing is just to build a habit of bringing and using your own reusable drink container.

-Elizabeth Hemmings

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