Goodbye Paper Cups: Starting Monday, coffee in the Wannsee canteen will only be served in reusable cups

As many as 150 coffee-to-go cups are used every day in the Wannsee canteen. These cups cannot be reasonably recycled, and instead end up as land fill. Now, the canteen is putting an end to this wastage. As of the 16th of October, coffee to go can only be bought in the new HZB returnable cups (available for 5 euros at the checkout) or served in your own cup, which you bring from home.

The head of the canteen, Mariola Nadolski, was shocked by the large number of disposable cups. “It’s crazy how much waste is produced this way.” Karin Haas agrees. “Naturally, as the Sustainability Officer, I was never too happy about those things.” Accordingly, at Haas’ initiative, the paper cups at HZB will soon be history. They will be replaced with environmentally friendly reusable plastic cups. Made from natural raw materials, these cups are biodegradable – and even Made in Germany.

The cups can be obtained from the canteen checkout for a 5 euro deposit. They are bright blue with a green lid and have the HZB logo stamped on them. If you wish, you can keep your cup and set a good example wherever you go. Or, if you no longer need it, you can return the cup and get your 5 euros back.

But what if the checkout is closed? “We will be keeping two shelves free on the spinning rack for the cups,” Haas explains. You can get them from there if the checkout happens to be closed. For that after-lunch coffee or for times outside canteen hours, everyone is also welcome to bring their own cup or favourite mug from home.

Also important to know: the porcelain cups and glasses from the canteen are not for the taking, rather are there to be used exclusively in the canteen.