短叠咖啡杯改变生活的魔力

短叠咖啡杯改变生活的魔力

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

这可能是让人们每天携带可重复使用的杯子的关键。

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.

我一时心血来潮买下了这个可爱的可重复使用的咖啡杯，它就放在加拿大户外用品零售商MEC的货架上。这个杯子引起了我的注意，因为它太小了;和两边的茶杯和热水瓶比起来，它显得很小。

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.

我最初的反应是它太小了，和我后来认识到的标准可重复使用的咖啡杯太不一样了，但后来我变得好奇起来。或许它的规模是件好事。

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.

事实上，多年来我一直对可重复使用的咖啡杯爱恨交加。我发现它们又大又笨重，很难打包。它们很重，尤其是装满液体的时候，会给已经装满的钱包、背包或笔记本电脑包增加多余的重量。

©. 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.

它们会泄漏是因为翻盖盖子永远都不够安全。它们太大了，无法放在咖啡机和酒店的咖啡机下面。因为我们大多数人已经带了可重复使用的水瓶，加一个咖啡杯真的很不方便。当有些东西必须要扔掉时，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.

我试过用玻璃罐(它们有时会破裂)和可折叠的咖啡杯(我不喜欢喝塑料制成的热饮，即使它是“食品安全”的)。我给我丈夫买了一个花哨的Klean Kanteen马克杯，但感觉就像从桶里喝水一样，很多时候我的嘴唇都烫到了。

© 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，我买了一个8盎司的小杯子，在MEC的卫生间里洗了一下，然后去了最近的咖啡店。当我把它递给咖啡师时，他停了下来。“你从哪儿弄来的?”棒极了!”在我登机后不久，每一位空乘人员都说:“我喜欢这个。大小正好。我怎么才能得到一个呢?”在我的旅行中，酒店员工、咖啡店老板和旅伴们不断地问我。显然，这个杯子给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。尺寸是我们现在咖啡杯文化的问题所在。如果我们想让人们携带可重复使用的咖啡杯，他们需要放弃现在作为咖啡杯的笨重的半升热水瓶，改用更像我们在家里使用的东西。然后它就变成了我们可以实际地把它放进我们超载的包里的东西。

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.

我们知道25美分的额外收费不起作用，因为对于在路上喝咖啡的便利性来说，这仍然是一个微不足道的价格。人们的生活不会慢下来，不会让他们有时间在上班的路上坐在靠窗的座位上喝杯拿铁。我们知道，开发可生物降解或可降解的杯子在这一点上是一个白日梦。我们需要的是更好更小的可重复使用的杯子设计。

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.

也许如果每个人都有一个像我这样的“短叠杯”，一个一杯杯的不锈钢杯子，轻便便携，完全密封，有一个螺旋盖子和把手，他们就不会把它放在家里了。这看起来是一个很小的改变，但是根据人们对我的杯子的反应，以及我新开始把它带到任何地方的决心，因为它可以毫无问题地放进我最小的包里，我认为这可能会带来很大的不同。