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2021: Back To The Travel Mug

A reusable mug with a picturesque backdrop.

It’s been a year of wishing things were back to the way they used to be. Especially in the world of sustainable practice, there have been a lot of steps backwards. One of the biggest impacts that COVID-19 has had is the reversal to disposable cups in the coffee industry. Leading up to 2020, the world had morally turned its back on disposable coffee cups. The people had realized that the “paper” cups are not recyclable, and that the plastic lids are rarely recycled. There was a real push to get a reusable water bottle and a travel mug. But alas, COVID-19 reverted us to the practice of filling the landfill when we picked up our morning coffee. But 2021 is a new year. 

In an international statement, health professionals confirmed that reusables pose no risk of COVID-19 transmission when washed with proper hygiene measures. Standard health and safety measures are enough to keep COVID under control, and poses no risk to the next customer. Simple measures like gloves or a cloth to pick up used cups, protecting workers. 

Some businesses are reluctant to re-adopt reusables, citing insurance policies or risk of shutdown. But others are stepping up and providing Edmontonians a place to get their caffeine fix without sacrificing a cup, lid, and sleeve. 

Remedy Cafe // @remedycafe // 109 St, Jasper Ave, 124 St, Southgate, and more

Edmonton’s most iconic coffee company is on board to reduce waste this year. Bring your reusable mug to any location and have it filled with their coffees or teas. Be spicy, drink chai! 

The Grand Cafe // @thegrandcafebistro // 10802 124 St

This cafe, in a grand brick building, holds a grand espresso machine. It’s also grand that they will refill your mugs with a smile. It’s an aptly named place. Try their Swiss Water coffee beans, as they’re the only place in Edmonton to find them. 

Overflow // @overflow_whyte // 8135 102 St

Tucked into a little window off Whyte Ave, Overflow is the most adorable takeout window in town. They are happy to refill your mug with organic coffee, to start your march down Whyte off right.  

Coffee Bureau // @coffee.bureau // 10505 Jasper Ave

This cozy shop will whip up a delicious brew, and a delicious bagel to boot. Their stellar service and tasty Ace coffee beans are sure to keep you grinning. Don’t forget your mug!  

The Moth Cafe // @themothcafe // 9449 Jasper Ave

The Moth Cafe is a relatively new addition to the downtown scene, but it has made a statement with their sustainable practices. They will be happy to accept your reusable mug. Try their Kuma coffee beans. 

The Nook Cafe // @nookyeg // 10153 97 St

Located deep downtown, this cafe is perfect for the government worker or downtown trooper. Happy to take your refillables, Nook Cafe is an accessible and adorable treat. Try their Roasti coffee in that mug!  

Intent Coffee // @intentcoffee.yeg // Southgate Mall

Just a few steps from Southgate Mall’s East entrance, this chic cafe with a touch of the Philippines will be sure to brighten up your day. They are happy to fill your mug for you to maintain their environmental sustainability along with their social sustainability initiatives!  

Dutch Delicious // @dutchdeliciousbakery // 13232 118 Ave

At a bustling intersection, this bakery and cafe is perfectly placed for a commuter. The adorable Dutch atmosphere will get you smiling, and they offer free coffees on Mondays. Just bring your mug! 

Credo Coffee // @credocoffee // 104 ,100, or 124 St

Credo provides almost the full span of Central Edmonton with fantastic coffee. Whichever location you visit, you know a great cup of coffee, responsibly sourced and served, is waiting for you.

Cafe Mosaics // @cafemosaics // 10844 Whyte Ave

Whether you’re stopping in for a meal or just a drink, Cafe Mosaics is happy to serve customers with refillables. In the heart of Whyte Ave, you’ll have plenty to do with a coffee in your hand. Try their sustainable Kuma coffee beans.  

District Cafe // @districtcafeyeg // 10011 109 St

District Cafe serves a mean vanilla latte, and now you can rest easy knowing they will accept your travel mug. Nestled near Grandin LRT station, it’s accessible from anywhere on the transit line. Try their to-die-for Anchored espresso.  

Take Care Cafe // @takecarecafe // 9621 Whyte Ave

This cafe on the east end of Whyte Avenue is easy to miss, so make sure to stop by. They are happy to fill mugs this year! Try their Ace coffee brews.

Lock Stock Coffee // @lockstockcoffee // 10534 Jasper Ave

This trendy cafe in the heart of the city is a hotspot for coffee lovers, so check them out. They have confirmed that they will be filling mugs this year! You will love their home blends!

The Woodrack Cafe // @thewoodrackcafe // 10335 83 Ave

Woodrack’s new location off of Whyte Avenue might want to be your next stop — their new shop is vintage-chic to the max. They have made a fair compromise on refillables this year, where each barista can choose whether or not they are comfortable filling your mug. Enjoy their ethically sourced brew! 

Anvil Coffee House // @anvilcoffeehouse // 6148 90 Ave

Anvil is an oasis of fantastic coffee and community in Ottewell. They are leaders when it comes to brewing up coffee and sustainable solutions to waste. Contactless coffee, reusable mugs, locally sourced options, they have it all.

Anvil also sells their beans in reusable mason jars! Source: @anvilcoffeehouse

Wondering if your favourite cafe is accepting reusables? Just send them a message or an email! We have compiled this list simply by asking, and many shops have made adjustments once they have understood their customer base’s desires. If your local coffee shop is hesitant to bring about reusable mugs in 2021, firstly make sure you understand their concerns. They want to keep their customers safe, and their reputation high. What you can do as a customer, however, is provide them with resources that assure them that reusables do not compromise safety. The statement mentioned above is a good resource, as well as this video which depicts how safe reusables really are. If they are still hesitant, reminding them that other shops are doing it safely and effectively can be very helpful as well. And if at the end of the day, they are sticking to disposables, now is a time where we can’t hold a grudge.

Reward those businesses that accept reusables by commenting your thanks on their social media, telling your coffee-loving friends, and of course, bringing in your mug. As always, make sure your mug is empty and take the lid off before handing it to the barista. And remember, shop policies might differ or evolve over time, so keep an eye out and respect their rules or restrictions. Stay safe, and stay sustainable!

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Gift-Giving For Sustainability Skeptics

We all know people who are reluctant to embrace sustainability as part of their lives. Maybe it’s your mom, who is too busy to think about sustainability. Maybe it’s your friend, who can’t afford to prioritize beeswax wraps or organic produce. But as someone who cares, you want to keep your sustainable influence going. So how do you balance not offending your mom, and not seeming too ‘above’ your struggling friend? It can be tough to play your cards right in these situations, especially in the gift-giving season. 

The best way to navigate slipping sustainable gifts into skeptical stockings is to find sustainable alternatives to items you would already want to buy them. With a little digging, you can almost always find an alternative to conventional items! So make your shopping list as you would always do, and then plan a little twist. 

One of my favourite seasonal items is the candle. It’s a simple, crowd-pleasing gift that’s not too pricey, either. However, traditional candles have environmental consequences. Paraffin candles are known to emit greenhouse gases when burned, and are made from non-renewable petroleum. Fan favourites like Bath and Body Works contain fragrances that originate from petrochemicals, which are known to cause health issues when burnt frequently. It’s not in anyone’s best interest to invest in conventional candles, but what’s the alternative?

Beeswax candles are a great option- as a natural by-product of the beekeeping process, these candles are renewable sourced, and beeswax products are trending! Honey Candles is a growing BC company that specializes in pure beeswax candles, with no added petrochemicals. You can also ask your local beekeeper about beeswax. Backyard beekeepers may have leftover wax for sale- use this map to locate a beekeeper in your neighbourhood.

Soy candles are another option, and perfect for the true vegan. Soy wax is 100% biodegradable, and is sourced from renewable materials. Local company Wick’d Petals uses soy wax, paired with dried flowers, to create a clean, local, and delicious fragrance, all packed in a reusable tin! They have also implemented a container-return program, where the candle tins can be returned for a discount on your next purchase. This motivates people through savings, but in the end facilitates sustainability. It’s a neat product to gift, for sure.

Looking to combine environmental and social sustainability? Look into Misiyo candle company, an local brand that supports disadvantaged Rwandans with the sales of their beeswax/coconut wax candles! By purchasing a candle, you provide health insurance to widows and orphans in Rwanda, helping to boost social sustainability and keeping you involved in global citizenship. You are also purchasing a renewable-sourced product in a reusable tin that can be returned for a discount; it’s a win for the buyer, the receiver, the Edmonton company, and the Rwandans.

You pinpointed one item on your list; the candle. You found three local companies finding innovative alternatives to conventional candles. You have eliminated harmful petrochemicals. There is no more black smoke coming off your candle. You’ve cut down on packaging and shipping. You’ve found a reusable tin that gets you a future discount. And, your money has stayed within the community, helping Canadian artisans thrive. Why would you spend that money any other way? And the best part is, you don’t have to flaunt it as a sustainable purchase. Know your audience; do they care most about the local investment, or about the future discount? Do they love the dried flowers, or the cute tin? Play to their interests. It makes you look like a great gift giver, and it gets them interested in a sustainable product. You’re not stuck with a big-chain product. This holiday season, dig deeper into your shopping list, and dig up those sustainable alternatives to products that you already know your people will love.

Featured photo credit: Wick’d Petals

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Balancing Sustainable Practice and Social Obligation During COVID-19

A single-use mask abandoned on the ground

COVID-19 has changed almost everything in our lives this past year. We have experienced change in jobs, friendships, social lives, family, and our financial situations. A lot of us who work hard to be environmentally conscious have felt the need to make compromises during this pandemic in our attempt to put safety over sustainability. These changes were made with good heart, but now is the time to continue our progress, and keep advocating and practicing sustainable methods when we can. 

This pandemic has brought to light that conflicts can arise between social sustainability and environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability is almost always the first thing you imagine when you hear ‘sustainability’. It includes hot topics like plastics, oil spills, or other things that physically affect our Earth. Social sustainability is a less discussed aspect of sustainability that includes protecting culture, education, or other big picture issues. It often includes a global perspective that includes people, not just the planet.

Social sustainability has taken precedence in light of the pandemic. We have shut down our economy, our social lives, and sometimes even our work in order to preserve our people and our culture. We emphasize the importance of our elders and those who are most at risk. It has been admirable how much compassion society has shown. However, as we begin to reopen, environmental sustainability starts to creep back into the spotlight. We are starting to see masks on the ground and gloves in our waterways. Our garbage at home is full of delivery meal packaging and single-use items. We go to fill our coffee mugs and discover there are now disposable cups only. Our lifestyles have changed, almost without us noticing, and we are ready to take that responsibility back and put it at the forefront.

A single-use mask on the ground with mountains in the background

What can the average citizen do about this? After all, it cannot be expected that sustainable practice should be held over public health. And yet in discussion, public health circles back to sustainable practice. It is confusing, both in terms of information and morals. However, we must remind ourselves that we are just one person. We do what we can. We change what we are able to. We can change our COVID habits, within reason and while being compassionate to ourselves. 

 The change we need stems simply from introspection. How has your life, personally, changed? What sustainable initiatives had you worked hard on, and now lost progress on? On the other side of things, what accomplishments have you made during this time at home? What have you been managing to do more sustainably than before? 

My list looks a bit like this:

A pro con list weighing changes made due to the pandemic
You can make your own pro/con list too!

I start from the accomplishments, things I would not have had time for or thought of before. For me, this includes things like upsizing my worm composting system, or growing celery from the celery stump. It reminds me of the fun things I have been able to do, and reinforces the motivation for doing them. Then, I move to the things I have been unhappy about. For me, this includes using a freely available disposable mask instead of digging up my reusable one. This one is entirely on me. It also includes some things I have no control over, like Tim Hortons not accepting mugs for refills. This sits a little better with me, as I did try, but is still something I am wishing will improve. 

Take the things that are in your control and brainstorm. Why am I choosing a disposable mask over a reusable one? Do I need to invest in a better mask, rather than the one I haphazardly made at home? The answer is probably yes, and would reduce both my discomfort and consumption. For you, this may be ordering more takeout than you would like, throwing out leftovers that you’re not in the mood for, or any other bad habits you’ve gotten into. It’s totally understandable that you’ve gotten out of your sustainable groove, but it only takes some reflection to get back into it. 


The things you can’t control are a little trickier. For example, using plastic bags at the grocery store is something that is easily remedied by bringing reusable bags. However, many stores stopped accepting reusable bags, and some still have not allowed them back. Accumulating plastic bags is not something that sits well with me, but it has still happened. So what can we do about it? Let’s connect back to social sustainability. How can we reuse these bags to make our society a little better? Plastic bags can be donated to food banks or zero-waste groups for others to make use of. You can find many crafts on the internet to use these bags for, such as placemats. If reuse is not feasible, bags can be used to clean out your cat’s litter box, take your garbage out in one instead of buying bags, or numerous other replacements. Finally, plastic bags can be put in for recycling at many stores or eco-stations. There are many ways to make use out of the things we never wanted. When life gives you lemons, right?

A plastic bag in a tree

Finally, advocate where you can for the reopening of sustainable practices. Ask your local store if you can bring your reusable bag if you pack it yourself. Ask your cafe if they will refill your mug if you take off the lid. Keep pushing for straw bans, or whatever eco-initiative is important to you. COVID-19 has not killed sustainability, it has just shuffled our priorities about. 

Take some time to think about which of your habits have changed. If you have kids, ask them which of their sustainable ideas they would like to bring back. Ask your spouse if they wouldn’t mind supporting you breaking one of your COVID habits. We are all in this together, and we can gradually return to our pre-COVID sustainable push.