From Nathan Dombeck

Janesville

To the Editor:

Sip, return, repeat.

Catchy enough as a slogan, one hopes an inspiring business plan founded on that motto spreads from its California origins to a wider market across the US. Thirty businesses in Petaluma California have come together to support a new project aimed at make your morning brew more sustainable called the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project.

The gist of the scheme is this: rather than paper cups or single-use plastic cups, participating businesses hand out beverages in durable plastic cups meant to be reused; once you’re done with your drink, simply throw the cup into one of more than 60 bins dotted around town, where it will be collected and cleaned at a central site. QR codes on the cups help the Project track results and where their cups are ending up.

Yes, heavier-duty plastic takes more emissions to produce; yes, cleaning the cups takes water and supplies; yes, picking up the cups and transporting them factors in to the overall sustainability of the project too. That’s why the tracking component is so important — if the lifecycle of these items is short, then the balance may not favor reusables after all.

That said, seeing a new approach to decreasing waste and creating a more sustainable world is as inspiring and refreshing as an iced green tea latte. Wisconsin and Illinois drinks as much brew as anywhere else; let’s keep cups out of the garbage and off the side of the road, and keep them in hands.