How to reduce the impact of eating out and getting coffee

Author

Anon (Oxford student)

Target chains and independents known for their sustainable practices

For example in Oxford Jericho Coffee Traders (their beans are sourced directly from farms via a specialised coffee trader, ensuring farmers are paid a fair wage. Take the time to look around your local area and online for such institutions!

If you are sitting in somewhere, try to use actual mugs and plates

This is rather than non-recyclable plastics or other wasteful disposables – or choose places with more recyclable packaging, such as Jimbob’s baguettes paper bags and the cardboard boxes of Leon’s med mezze salads.

Bring your own flask

Bring a flask, KeepCup or reusable coffee mug to try and reduce the amount of plastic entering landfills from disposable coffee cups; this also gives you a 50p discount (!!) at sustainably minded coffee shops, such as Pret.

Or make sure the takeaway cup is sustainable

If you do have to use a takeaway coffee cup for the aesthetic quality / being able to swish into a lecture with it in hand like a ready-made businessman / maybe you forgot your own, make sure that it is made from a recyclable paper body (Leon, Pret, Taylors and Society Café’s all are) and ideally that the plastic lid is also recyclable.

Consider eating vegetarian or vegan

Eating an increasingly plant based diet is better for the environment as animal agriculture contributes to global warming, takes up vast land areas and is increasingly economically inefficient. The Gardener’s Arms in Jericho is a haven for trying out the veg (and a pub too!) - their burgers with tofu bacon on top are a must. For those hailing from colleges further away or not willing to stray much further than Tesco, the Organic Deli Café down the sidestreet near Turtle Bay is also a brilliant lunch spot, and comes complete with an oh-so-instagrammable green walled secret garden. Perhaps stay away from the almond milk though, there is some debate about its impact… Pret have a really good coconut flat white and the Missing Bean offer a range of plant based alternative milks.