The Case Against Styrofoam Cups
Why is it that chains like Timothy's as well as independent coffee shops like Shai's in Kensington Market still serve their coffee is styrofoam, er, polystyrene cups only? Haven't they noticed that Starbucks, and recently Second Cup are now only serving up java in the paper variety?
I don't ask the question just for environmental reasons. First and foremost, it's a health issue. Research shows that drinking hot beverages in styrofoam cups is bad for you. Rather than repeat the claims here, I'll refer you to various articles on the subject.
The sad thing is that most coffee shop owners probably don't know any better. The person I spoke to at Shai's fained ignorance on the matter. He claims they chose styrofoam because it makes the cups easier to hold.
