Not All Sustainability Efforts Are Equal – Start With This One Step!
7CAFé by 7-Eleven is all about making the world a better place, one coffee at a time!
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So you wanna save the planet? Think you gotta do big, grand gestures to be a green warrior? Nah, bro. Sometimes, the smallest changes can make the biggest impact. You don’t need to turn your apartment into a mini-farm or go completely off the grid.
The best way to be sustainable is still to REFUSE. And it’s super simple! Refusing is like saying no to that extra piece of cake you know you don’t need (but secretly want).
We’re sure you’ve heard of reduce, reuse, recycle, but true sustainability actually starts with refusing.
Refusing what, you ask? Refusing anything “single-use” – items that you can only use one time before you have to throw it away.
Let’s break it down with a very simple example: the disposable cup.
Refuse: You say “No thanks” to a disposable cup. Boom! No waste created, full stop. The cup doesn’t get used, doesn’t end up in a landfill, and doesn’t add to the mountain of trash.
Reduce: Maybe you cut down on how often you use disposable cups. Less waste, sure, but it’s still waste lah. Those cups are in use for a few hours tops before they’re chucked.
Reuse: Or, maybe you decide to reuse the cup a few times. Better, but let’s face it, the cup’s already in circulation. By the time it’s cracked or broken, it’s still gonna end up in the trash.
Recycle: Ah, our very own green queen. Recycling is surely the best waste management ethic there is, especially if you’re throwing away plastic cups, right?
The average waste each Malaysian generates per day is 1.17kg, which is higher than the average worldwide of 0.74kg.
Now, all this trash? It might get recycled… or it might not.
A report by Sunway University tells us that out of 14 million tonnes of trash Malaysians churn out each year, 43.7% of it are dry recyclables, which include plastic, paper, glass, metals and tetra packs. Yet, in 2022, the recycling rate for all waste in KL and Putrajaya was only 33.16%. That’s not a great figure, considering the amount of waste that we produce.
So, why the recycling blues?
For one, recycling plastic isn’t as simple as you think. Only certain types of plastics often make the cut, like bottles or milk cartons. Disposable cups? Forget about it. These cups are often not made with recyclable plastic, so they’re basically landfill-bound.
Plus, when you send dirty plastics (like the cup you just had your coffee in) to recyclers, they have to figure out how to wash it before it can actually be recycled because dirty plastics can’t be recycled. This would mean increased costs for recyclers. So, again, landfill-bound.
Oh, and plastic can’t be recycled forever. After a few cycles, the plastic ends up being ‘unrecyclable’, and it needs to be combined with new plastic to make it recyclable again. This basically means that there will always be a need for new plastic production.
And plastics that end up in the trash take forever to actually break down, from hundreds to thousands of years! They just turn into tiny bits called microplastics (sneaky pieces that are smaller than 5 mm). At the end of the day, all these plastics end up piling up on Earth, hogging up landfill space and messing up our environment big time.
Hence, this is why Malaysia ranks first in the world for consuming microplastics. We swallow a credit card’s worth of microplastics every ten days!
READ MORE: Swallowing A Credit Card: Malaysians Ingest Alarming Amounts Of Microplastics Daily
The truth is, recycling your disposable cups is just a feel-good activity that helps take a lil’ bit of that guilt away.
Even if your disposable cups are made out of paper, the lids are often made out of plastic, anyway. Refusing is always top tier when it comes to saving the environment.
But, there’s one thing we all can’t refuse, and that’s a good cup of coffee. The good news is you don’t have to, and you get to enjoy a sweet discount while you get one at 7CAFé by 7-Eleven when you Bring Your Own Cup!
Be the Sustainability Superhero you were meant to be – Bring Your Own Cup!
7CAFé by 7-Eleven is all about making the world a better place, one coffee at a time! If you Bring Your Own Cup, you get a sweet 5% discount on any coffee drink in-store. That’s saving money and the planet, win-win!
Join the Movement: “Cawan Sendiri, Alam Bestari”
7CAFé is rolling out the “Cawan Sendiri, Alam Bestari” campaign, ‘cause they’re serious about slashing the number of disposable cups monthly by 3,000 a month!!! That’s a lot of cups!
By bringing your own cup, you’re part of a bigger movement towards a greener, cleaner future because you’re not contributing to the waste pile at all.
Plus, you get to show off your fancy tumbler.
Why “Bring Your Own Cup” Matters
Be a true green queen: Every time you bring your own cup, you’re reducing waste and conserving resources. Every little bit counts towards a healthier planet.
7-Eleven’s committed, 24/7: They’re not just about selling stuff. They’re integrating sustainable practices into their operations and encouraging customers to do the same. It’s about making a difference together.
Be a part of the bigger picture: 7-Eleven wants you to be part of the solution. By choosing reusable cups, you’re making a positive impact on the environment while sipping on your favourite beverage. How cool is that?
Final Sip
So next time you’re heading to 7CAFé, don’t forget your cup. Not just for the discount (hehe), but because it’s a small step that makes a big difference. Let’s show some love to our planet, one cup at a time.
Time to Bring Your Own Cup and be a true eco-hero. Remember, “Cawan Sendiri, Alam Bestari”!
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