Annual Disposable Cup Usage in South Korea

25.7 Billion

Approximately 500 disposable cups per person annually
Daily average of 70.41 million cups (about 815 per second!)

What’s Needed to Make One Disposable Cup

• Water: About 200ml (more water than the cup itself!)
• Crude oil: About 30ml (for plastic coating)
• Wood: Equivalent to 1/3 of an A4 paper
• Electricity: Enough to run an LED bulb for 1 hour

The Life of a Disposable Cup

• Production time: A few seconds
• Usage time: Average 15 minutes
• Decomposition time: Over 20 years (some take 500 years!)
• Recycling rate: Less than 5% (most incinerated/landfilled)

Step 1: Purchase a Tumbler (First Week)

Selection Criteria:
• Capacity: 350-500ml for daily use (1-2 cups of coffee)
• Material: Stainless steel > Glass > Plastic (in order of recommendation)
• Opening: Wider is easier to clean
• Portability: Size that fits easily in your bag
• Design: Something you’ll want to see every day!

💡 Tip: Start with just 1! Once it becomes a habit, expand to home/office/car versions

Step 2: Always Bring It (Weeks 2-4)

Creating a Routine:
• When packing your bag in the morning: Phone-Wallet-Tumbler
• Check before leaving: “Phone, Wallet, Tumbler!”
• After arriving at work: Place in visible spot on desk
• Before leaving work: Wash and put back in bag

💡 Tip: Easy to forget the first 2 weeks. Put a sticky note on the door handle!

Step 3: Use Naturally (1-2 Months)

Confidently at Cafés:
• “In this, please!” (Hand over tumbler)
• Get discounts (most places offer ~$0.20 off)
• Bonus: Drink temperature maintained longer!
• More hygienic as it’s your personal cup

💡 Tip: Don’t be embarrassed! Tumbler users are seen as ‘cool people who care about the environment.’

Step 4: Make It a Lifestyle (After 3 Months)

When the Tumbler Becomes Part of Life:
• Feels like something’s missing when you leave without it
• Receiving a disposable cup feels uncomfortable
• People around you start using tumblers too
• You collect multiple and use them for different situations

🎉 Congratulations! You’re now a true ESG practitioner!

Q1. Can cafés refuse my tumbler?

A. Most cafés welcome tumblers! However, for hygiene reasons, staff won’t touch it directly and will pour the drink for you to receive. Some stores may have policies after COVID-19, so it’s good to ask in advance.

Q2. Isn’t a tumbler also environmental pollution?

A. Manufacturing one tumbler produces about 1.5kg of CO₂ emissions. However, this equals the emissions from using 15 disposable cups. In other words, you break even after just 15 uses, and every use after that is pure environmental gain! Since they’re used for an average of 2-3 years, they’re much more environmentally friendly.

Q3. Aren’t tumblers heavy and inconvenient?

A. Ultra-light tumblers weigh 200-300g, similar to a smartphone. The first 2 weeks require an adjustment period, but once you get used to it, you’ll naturally pack it in your bag like a phone. The environmental value gained far outweighs the weight!

Q4. What if I forget my tumbler?

A. It’s okay! You can’t be 100% perfect. On days you forget, use a disposable cup but recycle it properly. Then start bringing your tumbler again from the next day. Consistency matters more than perfection!

“At first it was tedious. But getting a $0.20 discount daily at the café, I saved over $100 in a year. Plus, coffee tastes better from my tumbler. Now I feel anxious without it. Thinking I’ve reduced about 600 disposable cups in 2 years makes me proud!”

“When I started using a tumbler, my spouse and kids followed. Now all 4 family members have personal tumblers. Kids bring tumblers on school field trips, my spouse has one at work. Knowing our family doesn’t use 1,200 disposable cups per year is really amazing!”

“Seeing me use a tumbler, team members started following one by one. Now all 15 people on our team use tumblers. The sight of the whole team going to get coffee with tumblers at the company cafeteria is spectacular. Other teams say ‘that team is cool’ and more people are using tumblers!”

When you use a tumbler…

✅ Expected Results After 30 Days

Disposable cups saved: About 25
Money saved: About $5
CO₂ reduced: About 0.9kg