The Best Reusable Coffee Cups, Because Disposable Ones Are Over

The days of disposable coffee cups are numbered.

Yep, like the humble plastic bag, disposable coffee cups are set to fade into obscurity because, it turns out, they aren't always recyclable. It just so happens that there are only three places in the UK equipped to do the separating-plastic-from-paper-thing so lots actually go un-recycled.

Because we're looking down the barrel of a future affected horrendously by plastic pollution, government types have considered bringing in a "latte levy" – or a 25p charge every time we use a disposable coffee cup – much like the 5p plastic bag thing (which has prompted an 83% drop in usage since it was introduced in 2015).

Companies are already introducing discounts for people who bring in their own cups. The best discount (that we've seen) is at Pret, which is now offering a princely 50p off your morning coffee if you bring your own cup. And (top tip alert) their perfectly adequate filter coffee is already only 99p.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has meant that many places aren't letting you use reusable cups because of contamination risk. However, they remain an ideal option for the woman on her daily walk or on her socially distant way to work.

So which on-the-go coffee mug should you purchase to replace your disposable cup? We decided to try a bunch to find out which ones are up to scratch...