re: #285 Obdicut

A lot of silly people who think that they’re being sustainable by using ceramic mugs rather than something disposable act like those ceramic mugs appeared out of nowhere and will last forever. Making ceramic takes a ton of heat— energy which comes from AGW-producing fossil fuels. It takes a ton of water. It takes digging the clay out of the ground in the first place. It’s massy and heavy so it takes more fuel to transport it.

Is it better than plastic? Definitely. Is it better than bamboo cups? No. Bamboo can be a sustainable source of cups. Ceramic cannot.

The worst are those trendy stainless steel mugs with environmentalist slogans on them. Like stainless steel is an environmentally friendly product. What the living fuck.

I think any material (within reason) would be fine. The real problem is that people are going to get bored with whatever cup they have in a few years and throw them away and buy new ones to match fashion or the new drapes.
I inherited a box of family trinkets when a relative passed. In the box were a few large metal spoons probably from about 1800-1850. You could tell they were used by right handed people because the spoons were so worn down. Those spoons were probably the only eating utensil for someone’s entire life. Maybe even a couple generations.