Cardboard coffee cups

[ghostbreeder]

Whilst sitting at my desk being amused by the many and varied postings on here, my gaze drifted sideways to the ever growing pile of paper coffee cups dispensed from the office machine. The thought occurs to me that they may make ideal little pots for peas and beans and the like. They've a "recycle me" emblem on the side which I'm would imagine means that I could then just plant the pot directly into the floor and hey presto - no transplanting. Has anyone else done similar or is there an obvious flaw in my plan that I haven't thought about?

[alldigging]

I'd imagine they might take slightly longer to break down than you imagine. I'd do a few control tests first -

[veggiechicken]

Are they coated with anything? Waxy? You could always slit the cup before planting out and remove it.

[Mikey]

As they are a coffee cup, I would expect them to be coated so as to not leak. It doesn't stop them being recyclable but I wouldn't expect you to be able to just plant into the ground and have them degrade within a year.

On the plus side that might mean you could use them and keep them for the next crop.

[veggiechicken]

Or just have another cuppa in them

[Mikey]

Or just have another cuppa in them

I'll bear that in mind next time you offer me a brew VC!!

[veggiechicken]

I always reuse my cups - its whether I wash them in between that should worry you

[Mikey]

I think that is half the problem with Greece at the moment, they throw them away when they've finished with them...

Personally I like the small clay cups the Chai Wallah's use, or the wooden kuksa that the finnish use.

Much Nicer.

[HeyWayne]

Great idea - in one of my previous places of workship we used to have an on site vending machine, and used to go through an inordinate amount of plastic cups. They were recycled, but still - I saw an opportunity and used to take loads home with me, rinse them out and then used a soldering iron to burn three holes in the bottom of each one.

Didn't buy any pots for years.

Give em a go, I say.

[chris]

I think that is half the problem with Greece at the moment, they throw them away when they've finished with them...

Personally I like the small clay cups the Chai Wallah's use, or the wooden kuksa that the finnish use.

Much Nicer.

This place go through 1000 poly cups a day. Yet there's normal mugs in the cupboards, does my nut in.

[Mikey]

Have you considered getting a Chai Wallah, Chris?, probably cheaper in the long run....

As the phrase goes reuse, recycle, refuse.

[veggiechicken]

This place go through 1000 poly cups a day. Yet there's normal mugs in the cupboards, does my nut in.

How many staff are there, Chris? Just trying to work out how many cups are drunk per person -'cos its cold and dark out and I'm indoors with time on my hands (no, Mikey, not a wrist watch )

[Kaiya]

Ironically at my work the paper cups are non-recyclable but the plastic lids are. Also, the cutlery is bio-compostable - they are made of potato starch. Topsy-turvy world.

[Two_Sheds]

I could then just plant the pot directly into the floor

and grow another coffee machine?

[chris]

well, we employ 1000 people, but a few have erm, "left" recently. I think sales floor wise, 300 odd. Sorry, that's 2,000 - it's a box for each building just remembered. 2 rounds of the tea lady in each building, and if they make their own as well during the day.

I have my own mug from the nhs I still use