Coffee is arguably the most important commodity in the world. In terms of dollars and cents, it is #2 after oil. Coal is said to have fueled the industrial revolution, but coffee was there as well. Its effect on the central nervous systems of humans may have been a catalyst for most historical events that get tagged with the word revolution. A favorite anecdote for coffee historians concerns a decree by a British monarch that all coffee houses were to close their doors. The reasoning was that the thinkers of the day were talking about a revolution over coffee (and this was long before the crunchy granola waitresses had started incessantly playing Tracy Chapman CDs).

The wholesale abandonment of disposable coffee cups is a revolution whose time has come. The White House of George W. Bush switched from expanded polystyrene cups to biodegradable paper. Team Obama is looking for an even greener option.

An issue of concern to many is the cafeteria. So, let me give everyone a brief update. We took a small but significant step when we started selling new reusable coffee mugs in the cafeteria and the Foggy Bottom coffee shop. I am pleased that so many of you decided to support this endeavor. So much so that they sold out immediately, but now are again available for sale. (State Department Earth Day Remarks)

The simplest and most convenient way to personally eliminate disposable cups is to sit down at home or at a cafe and drink from a reusable cup. If you drink so much coffee that this seems like a hardship, you might want to consider cutting down. Three 8 ounce cups of coffee per day provides the recommended maximum of 400mg of caffeine. If your schedule simply doesn’t have room for a sit down cup, get a travel mug. Lots of cafes offer discounts to customers that fill up using their own mug.

I blogged about buying coffee in bulk to cut down on packaging waste back in 2007. That is the best way to buy coffee if you live in a place with local roasters. If you can find it, Fair Trade Organic coffee in bulk is the absolute ideal way to get your coffee fix.

I think I may have found the second best way to buy coffee today. One of the most famous Italian coffee roasters sells coffee in these nice metal canisters.

It looks to me like there is no BPA lining on these cans. That would make sense since there is little risk of food poisoning with roasted coffee. The canisters are durable and attractive and they can be used to store other dry goods after you have finished your coffee. A French press contains a lot less plastic than a typical drip coffee maker. It also makes better coffee.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating mass of plastic debris twice the size of Texas, is just one of the many reasons that the world can benefit from every single small action we can take to reduce plastic consumption.

Here are five easy ways you can cut back on plastic starting today:

1. Carry and use cloth or string bags. Keep a couple of these in your purse, your glove compartment, your briefcase, and get in the habit of using them instead of plastic grocery bags.
2. Switch from liquid laundry detergent in plastic bottles to powdered detergent in cardboard boxes and check out these alternatives to liquid fabric softener.
3. Instead of buying bottled water, carry a stainless steel water bottle and refill it with tap water.
4. Buy whole food, local food, and bulk food to cut back on unnecessary packaging. Grow a garden, join a CSA, or shop at a local farmers market instead of buying prewashed veggies in plastic bags — reduces your carbon footprint too!
5. Refill your empty Windex bottles with homemade glass cleaner (made from equal parts tap water and vinegar sold in glass bottles).

This post is part of SustainaBee’s Blog Carnival, Small Actions to Change the World.

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