Today’s increasing level of anxiety, stress and depression can be traced to one ecological disaster: the takeout coffee cup.
When you buy a coffee at Starbucks or a similar establishment, what are you really getting? You pay top dollar for a drink that you are going to gulp down as you dash to your next task. What is Starbuck’s supposedly selling you? The European experience of high-end coffee prepared exclusively for you. The difference is that in Europe, you would be sitting in a café, probably with friends, and be served your coffee in an actual porcelain cup. You would savor the flavor, enjoy the company, and return to your duties refreshed. A waiter would whisk away your cup to be washed and reused, thereby keeping garbage to a minimum.
Besides avoiding unnecessary waste, the European experience recognizes that coffee nurtures community and provides mental rest. When you use a drive thru, you get none of these things. Waiting in line, rushing off to another errand, and drinking your coffee in a hurry does not provide you with a break in your day. It may even add to your current level of anxiety, depression, and stress. Your expensive treat also adds to landfill waste.
So, next time you pay $5 for one beverage, ask yourself if you do not have the time to sit down and enjoy that expensive coffee. It would taste even better with friends.
I’m Frances Jaeger, and that is my Perspective.
