Malaysia has seen a sharp increase in coffee consumption over the past 20 years, as evidenced by the proliferation of designer cafés and coffee shops throughout the nation. In a nation where tea was originally the national beverage, coffee has come to represent Western culture. The younger generation in Malaysia has been exposed to a great deal of Western culture, largely due to the growth of the internet. That gives rise to the urge to live a more Westernised lifestyle, which naturally includes coffee. Simultaneously, as more and more people begin to have more steady discretionary income, many Malaysians now consider it normal to grab a slice of cake and a cappuccino at a hip cafe or coffee shop.
According to a recent poll, the typical Malaysian consumes 2.38 cups of coffee daily. This increase in coffee consumption has been fostered by the ongoing globalisation of companies like Starbucks, which introduced the “café culture” from the West. Simultaneously, local Malaysian brands like Kopitiam and Old Town White Coffee foster the coffee-drinking culture among the elderly Malaysian population.
Since takeout cups are mostly disposed of in landfills, most coffee shops will give you a discount if you bring in a reusable cup. Due to their plastic inner covering, disposable coffee cups cannot be recycled with paper or cardboard. Research states that Malaysia’s total coffee sales in 2009 amounted to over RM 61 million, and they are expected to continue rising. That’s a staggering amount of waste daily.
What should you consider when buying a reusable coffee cup?
Purchasing one of the best reusable coffee mugs (also known as travel mugs; they are the same thing but have different names) is one easy method to lessen your environmental impact. These generally range in price as cheap as RM5 (non-insulated cups you can find in Shopee) and go up to a few hundred Ringgit for a brand-name insulated 10 to 12 hours of hot coffee on the go. The cups or tumblers are available in an incredibly wide variety of materials, forms, and sizes.
It all depends on preference, but for me, I choose a leak-proof, stainless steel coffee cup that is less than 500ml so it can fit in a bag, and is something easy to clean Although there are many different kinds available, they generally fall into two categories: those that have thermal linings to keep your coffee hot for several hours, and those that don’t, meaning you have to drink it rather quickly, just like you would with a standard mug or throwaway cup. As one might expect, the latter are typically less expensive; also, there is a claim that they are simpler to sip from as the coffee doesn’t remain extremely hot.
Which material makes the best reusable coffee cup?
Due to its non-reactive nature, durability, and superior ability to regulate temperature, stainless steel is widely regarded as the ideal material for reusable coffee cups. Nonetheless, there are five common materials—ceramic, glass, hard plastic, and bamboo—that are utilised to create travel mugs.
Compared to glass or ceramics, stainless steel has a comparatively lower carbon footprint. It can also withstand a lot of abuse and persist for decades because of its extreme durability. While keep containers are still commonly made of hard plastic, be sure to get one that is BPA-free. Even with recycling, there are still problems with ocean microplastics. As a society, we should look for alternatives to plastics. Since bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth, its manufacture uses sustainable raw materials, and its energy costs are comparable to those of plastic cups, but with a significantly smaller environmental impact.
Malaysia’s coffee culture is expected to continue to get stronger as time goes on. The coffee industry in Malaysia is expected to flourish for many more decades due to trends, and the increase of cafés. Let’s make sure that with the rise of coffee consumption, our awareness of what it left behind also increases. Buy a reusable cup, and stay in trend while saving the planet!
