This reflection begins with an image of a reflection. Rather, a lot of reflections. Depicted is a cappuccino with a layer of edible glitter. Obviously, my cappuccino then. Aside from the paper cup and plastic lid, I was considering the waste that this coffee generated as I was drinking it. In particular, a cappuccino contains a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and frothed milk. To create this, milk had to be manufactured, and shipped to NYC. The machines to froth and steam the milk also had to be manufactured and shipped to NYC. Their parts had to be mined presumably and shipped to the factory. We can even ignore these, as arguably they are tools and will work for a long time, thereby justifying their existence.
The particularly wasteful aspect of this beverage is in fact the most basic ingredient: the coffee beans. Ignoring all of the ethical issues of the coffee trade, it is rife with ecological problems. For starters, coffee production consumes a lot of water and depletes soil of many essential nutrients. What’s more, the coffee needs to be roasted, thereby requiring more energy consumption. Lastly, the coffee is shipped to NYC where it will go into one person’s beverage.
