A lesson in “defeating the purpose”

I admit it: I’m a Tim Hortons junkie. (link)

The spousal unit was troubled by all those paper cups going into the trash so, in a moment of environmental concern, she gave me “an environmentally-friendly way to enjoy hot Tim Hortons beverages”. My Travel mug is great, and by conservative (lower-case “c”) estimate I’ve saved a few dozen paper cups from the landfill. (As an aside, Tim Horton’s cups are expressly forbidden by our local paper recycling program, so they do end up in the landfill.)

But then Tim’s initiated one of their frequent Rrroll up the rim to win! promotions.   And the next time I stopped at my local Tim’s for a refill they handed me my filled travel mug, along with an empty paper cup so I too could Rrroll up the rim to win!

So now I not only have a plastic cup which, being plastic, has its own environmental issues, but I’m also wasting a paper cup. Where’s the logic in that? So Tim Hortons, if you’re listening, I’d suggest a scratch-and-win or similar promotion for those of us who really are trying to cut down on your garbage, because wasting a paper cup just doesn’t do it for me.