Should coffee shops charge more when people request disposable cups?

Cheryl Wong, 18, Shun Lee Catholic Secondary School

The main objective of an extra charge is to reduce the use of disposable cups by customers. But this is not a solution to the problem.

People are willing to pay HK$30 for a cup of coffee at well-known coffee shops like Starbucks and Pacific Coffee. They wouldn't mind paying an extra HK$3-HK$5 if they think it's convenient to use disposable cups. The customers would soon get used to this policy, and continue to drink their coffee in plastic cups.

I am sure coffee shops would never charge a big amount, for example HK$10, for a disposable cup. If they did, they would lose a lot of customers to their rivals, including convenience stores where things are much cheaper.

One of the ideas behind the suggestion is to tell customers to bring their own cup to the coffee shop. And then they could enjoy their favourite beverage without extra charge and at the same time reduce waste and save the environment.

But, the truth is, most people would find bringing along a coffee cup with them inconvenient.

Saving a small amount of money is not a strong incentive in a society where people value convenience.

There are much better ways of protecting the environment. For example, coffee shops can recycle the large amounts of utensils, newspapers and magazines that are being disposed of every day.

This would help to ease environmental problems and would show that coffee shops support conservation.

Matthew Murchie, 15, St Joseph's College

People nowadays are fully aware of the city's pollution problems. But they are too lazy or don't know how to tackle the worsening situation.

In such circumstances, it is up to the government to enact laws or launch large-scale campaigns to ensure people do their best to protect the environment.

Take, for example, the 'No Plastic Bag Day'. Once a month, you're charged 50 HK cents for a plastic bag. This is hardly a significant amount, and most people would be willing to pay the extra fee for the sake of convenience.

But it is effective because it helps raise the public's awareness of practical measures they can take to save the planet. And its results are there for everyone to see.

It is now common to see housewives and helpers take their own reusable shopping bags to the supermarket.

The same thing could easily happen with coffee shops and disposable cups.

When we are charged a few extra dollars every time we buy a coffee or hot chocolate, it raises our awareness and shows us what we can do to protect our world.

The idea of taking your own cup to a coffee shop may be difficult to accept now, but as long as people are willing to protect the environment, it could become a popular trend in the future.

If taking a cup to a coffee shop becomes as common as taking a reusable shopping bag to a supermarket, the environment could benefit significantly from that little bit of inconvenience.