短疊咖啡杯改變生活的魔力

短疊咖啡杯改變生活的魔力

This could be the key to getting people to carry reusable mugs each day.

這可能是讓人們每天攜帶可重復使用的杯子的關鍵。

I bought it on a whim – an adorable reusable coffee mug that was sitting on the shelf at MEC, Canada's outdoor gear retailer. The mug caught my eye because it was so small; it looked tiny next to the mugs and thermoses that stood on either side.

我一時心血來潮買下了這個可愛的可重復使用的咖啡杯，它就放在加拿大戶外用品零售商MEC的貨架上。這個杯子引起了我的注意，因為它太小了;和兩邊的茶杯和熱水瓶比起來，它顯得很小。

My initial reaction was that it was too small, too different from what I'd come to recognize as a standard reusable coffee mug, but then I grew curious. Perhaps its size would be a good thing.

我最初的反應是它太小了，和我后來認識到的標準可重復使用的咖啡杯太不一樣了，但后來我變得好奇起來?；蛟S它的規(guī)模是件好事。

The fact is, I've had a love-hate relationship with reusable coffee cups for years. I find them big and bulky, difficult to pack. They're heavy, especially when filled with liquid, and add unwanted weight to an already-full purse, backpack, or laptop bag.

事實上，多年來我一直對可重復使用的咖啡杯愛恨交加。我發(fā)現(xiàn)它們又大又笨重，很難打包。它們很重，尤其是裝滿液體的時候，會給已經(jīng)裝滿的錢包、背包或筆記本電腦包增加多余的重量。

©. K Martinko

They leak because flip-top lids are never secure enough. They're too big to fit under espresso machines and hotel coffee makers. And because most of us are already carrying refillable water bottles, adding a coffee cup can feel like a real inconvenience. When something has to go, the coffee cup is first in line.

它們會泄漏是因為翻蓋蓋子永遠都不夠安全。它們太大了，無法放在咖啡機和酒店的咖啡機下面。因為我們大多數(shù)人已經(jīng)帶了可重復使用的水瓶，加一個咖啡杯真的很不方便。當有些東西必須要扔掉時，咖啡杯是排在第一位的。

I have experimented with mason jars (they break sometimes) and collapsible coffee mugs (I don't love drinking hot liquid out of plastic, even if it's 'food-safe'). I purchased a fancy Klean Kanteen mug for my husband, but it feels like drinking out of a bucket and I've burned my lips on many occasions.

我試過用玻璃罐(它們有時會破裂)和可折疊的咖啡杯(我不喜歡喝塑料制成的熱飲，即使它是“食品安全”的)。我給我丈夫買了一個花哨的Klean Kanteen馬克杯，但感覺就像從桶里喝水一樣，很多時候我的嘴唇都燙到了。

© K Martinko

So, I bought the tiny 8-ounce mug, washed it in MEC's bathroom, and headed to the nearest coffee shop. When I handed it to the barista, he stopped. "Where did you get this? It's fantastic!" I boarded a plane shortly after and every flight attendant said the same thing: "I love this. It's the perfect size. How can I get one?" Hotel staff, coffee shop owners, and fellow travellers quizzed me throughout my trip. Clearly the mug made an impression.

所以，我買了一個8盎司的小杯子，在MEC的衛(wèi)生間里洗了一下，然后去了最近的咖啡店。當我把它遞給咖啡師時，他停了下來。“你從哪兒弄來的?”棒極了!”在我登機后不久，每一位空乘人員都說:“我喜歡這個。大小正好。我怎么才能得到一個呢?”在我的旅行中，酒店員工、咖啡店老板和旅伴們不斷地問我。顯然，這個杯子給人留下了深刻的印象。

That's when it dawned me. Size is what's wrong with our coffee cup culture right now. If we want people to carry reusable coffee mugs, they need to give up the hefty half-litre sized thermoses that are currently passing as coffee mugs and switch to something that's more like what we actually use at home. Then it becomes something we'll realistically carry in our overloaded bags.

我突然明白了。尺寸是我們現(xiàn)在咖啡杯文化的問題所在。如果我們想讓人們攜帶可重復使用的咖啡杯，他們需要放棄現(xiàn)在作為咖啡杯的笨重的半升熱水瓶，改用更像我們在家里使用的東西。然后它就變成了我們可以實際地把它放進我們超載的包里的東西。

We know 25-cent surcharges don't work because it's still a minuscule price to pay for the convenience of drinking on the go. People's lives aren't about to slow down and allow them the time to sip a latte in a window seat on their way to work. And we know the development of biodegradable or compostable cups is a pipe dream at this point. What we need is better and smaller reusable cup design.

我們知道25美分的額外收費不起作用，因為對于在路上喝咖啡的便利性來說，這仍然是一個微不足道的價格。人們的生活不會慢下來，不會讓他們有時間在上班的路上坐在靠窗的座位上喝杯拿鐵。我們知道，開發(fā)可生物降解或可降解的杯子在這一點上是一個白日夢。我們需要的是更好更小的可重復使用的杯子設計。

Maybe if everyone had a 'short-stack' mug like mine, a one-cup stainless steel mug that's light and portable and fully sealed with a screw-top lid and handle, they wouldn't leave it at home. It seems like such a minor change, but based on people's reactions to my mug – and my newfound dedication to taking it everywhere because it fits in my smallest bag without any problem – I think this could make a real difference.

也許如果每個人都有一個像我這樣的“短疊杯”，一個一杯杯的不銹鋼杯子，輕便便攜，完全密封，有一個螺旋蓋子和把手，他們就不會把它放在家里了。這看起來是一個很小的改變，但是根據(jù)人們對我的杯子的反應，以及我新開始把它帶到任何地方的決心，因為它可以毫無問題地放進我最小的包里，我認為這可能會帶來很大的不同。