After reading about the impact takeout cups have on the environment, I made a simple pledge to try and refill whenever possible.  I bought a 16 ounce insulated cold drink glass from Starbucks and set out to change the world one drink at a time.  Unfortunately, my hopes were quickly dashed that all corporations were as up to speed as Starbucks on environmental consciousness. 

Shortly after finishing a long couple of hikes, I dropped by a QuikTrip in the St. Louis area with my cup in hand for a refreshing, ice cold drink.  Admittedly, I love Quiktrip and have used their credit card for gas for many years.  The service for drink and snacks is nearly always fast and friendly.  When I pulled up to the store, I was excited to see that 32 ounce sodas were only 49 cents.  I had a 16 ounce but figured Quiktrip would be cool.  After all, they recently had organic coffee.  Surely, my fellow organic-loving brethren would respect an conservationist like me...clad in hiking boots, Columbia shorts and Outdoor Research hat.   What could possibly go wrong?

Upon walking inside the welcomed air conditioning, I was really thirsty and thought about grabbing the 32 ounce soda to "stick with the advertised sale" and appease my American need for "more is better."  However, I had this bright, new cup and a heartfelt pledge to protect the earth, so I limited myself to refilling only 16 ounces and resisted the urge to gulp extra soda at the fountain.  Once my glass was full, I waited happily and patiently in line.  However, to my surprise...the total cost of my drink came to 72 cents.  When I asked the cashier about it, he simply said that 32 ounces were 49 cents only. I mentioned the movement for companies to be more environmentally conscious and said I'd pay him anyway but would like to talk to a manager.  The cashier merely informed me he was the manager on duty and thus was the end of my conversation. 

Once I returned home, I called a nearby location and the manager on duty spent as much time as she could listening to my concerns and really seemed to identify with the environmental issues at hand.  She offered to refill my cup for the 49 cents and also gave me the necessary contact information to let corporate know my feelings.  (Unfortunately, it was the weekend, so I was told no one would be available.)

After speaking to this staffer via phone, I called a couple other surrounding locations to clarify what the offer was.  All seemed to agree that it was 49 cents if you used one of their cups for a 32 ounce or refilled a 32 ounce only.  I even asked one what would happen if I brought in a smaller cup and was told the cost would be more. 

Based on my site visit to QuikTrip and phone calls, I was left with a couple assumptions: 

• Had I left my 16 ounce refill glass in the car (and my conscience), grabbed a cup, lid and straw, I could have saved 20 cents.  Granted, I would have added to the increasing number of cups in landfills and utilized more product from QuikTrip but I would have pinched a few pennies.
• QuikTrip wants me to buy their refill container.  In my case, this would impact the environment even further by purchasing another plastic container that would possibly end up in a landfill, if not recycled properly.

I've sent an email to QuikTrip to express this interesting quandary and look forward to their response.

In closing, saving the environment one cup at a time may sound silly to some but if everyone just increased their consumable consciousness by 10%, it would make a mountain of difference in creating a greener future for everyone.

We'd love to hear about your experiences in attempting to live more consciously.  Email us at editor@greensagepage.com and share your story.