Disposable cup or own mug at the office? The calculation, the rules, and what works
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
A cup of coffee from a disposable cup costs you about 15 cents; a mug pays for itself after a week or two. That's how you make the choice for the office, school and on the go.
By the coffee machine, there's a stack of cups, and next to the sink, a collection of mugs no one remembers who they belong to. In September, when everyone is back from vacation and the cup dispenser is empty within a week, it becomes clear how many are used. This is one of those expenses nobody pays attention to, yet it recurs every year.
First, the Math
Take a pack of Coffee Cups 150ml, 100 pieces (€14.95). That's about 15 cents per cup. Someone who drinks four cups per workday uses about 20 per week: that's €3 per person per week, or roughly €140 per year. For five people in the office, you're looking at seven hundred euros a year on something you immediately throw away.
Compare that to a mug. A ceramic mug with thermal effect, 470 ml costs €5.00 — that's the price of about 33 cups, or a week and a half's worth of coffee. An €8.00 mug, like the Crypto Meme Mug 300 ml or the Squid Game Mug 325 ml, pays for itself after about 54 cups. At four cups a day, that's after thirteen working days. Everything after that is profit, until someone drops the mug.
That's the entire economics of this choice. The only real cost item after that is washing up, and that's precisely why it often goes wrong in practice.
What the Rules Say
There's also a legal side. According to government information on Afval Circulair, since January 1, 2024, disposable cups and containers containing plastic are no longer allowed for on-site consumption within organizations; the proposed solution is to offer reusable alternatives, or have staff and visitors bring their own. Note that this applies to cups containing plastic — even a cardboard cup with plastic coating falls under this — so check the product description if in doubt.
These rules are being partially revised. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management reported in December 2025 that the rules will be made more practical and clearer, that reusables will remain the standard in the office, and that the changes will formally take effect in 2027 with a transition period. In short: the direction is clear, the details may still shift. For your situation, check the current status on afvalcirculair.nl before stocking up on a large supply.
What Works on a Desk
A mug that stays put gets used. Three things determine that.
Capacity. 300 to 325 ml is a standard cup of coffee. 470 ml is a mug for those who nurse the same drink all morning and don't want to get up every half hour.
Dishwasher safe or not. For printed and thermal items, hand washing is generally safer for the print. If nothing is stated in the description, assume hand washing.
If you're looking for a gift for a new colleague: a sturdier item like the Coffee Mug Black Pistol (€24.95) stands out among standard mugs and, if hand-washed, will last for years.
Water: The Bottle Does More Than the Cup
For water, a cup works poorly and a bottle works well, simply because you don't have to walk to it constantly. A large bottle with time markers also makes it visible how much you drink in a day: the Water Bottle with Time Indication 2 liters (€24.95) comes in eight colors, and there is a similar 2-liter water bottle with time markers (€24.95). Two liters is substantial; for those who find that too cumbersome on a small desk, something more compact is better.
If the bottle needs to go in a bag or backpack, consider the Foldable Drinking Bottle with Carabiner (€7.95): empty, it takes up hardly any space, and it hangs outside the bag instead of leaking inside. For school, the same considerations apply as for the office, with one difference: a bottle that falls over on a school desk really needs to close securely.
When Disposable Is Logical
There are still situations where reusables don't work: an open day, a market, a reception with fifty guests, a move where the dishwasher is already packed. In such moments, a pack of disposable cups is just right — you don't want to get back a hundred mugs. Expect a little more than one cup per guest per hour, because people put down their cup and grab a new one. For a two-hour meeting with thirty people, one pack of 100 pieces is ample.
If you want to do it neatly, put a separate bin next to it for used cups, and write names on them with a marker. The latter halves consumption without costing anything.
A Practical Approach
For one week, count how many cups are actually used. Almost no one estimates this correctly.
Give everyone their own mug and one bottle, with a name or distinctive color. Anonymous mugs don't get washed.
Keep a small supply of disposable cups on hand for visitors and events, not as a daily standard.
Agree on who starts the dishwasher. This, however silly, is why most attempts fail.
Find Out for Yourself
Look for mugs and cups in Mugs and Glasses, and for other office supplies in Office & School and Food & Drink Accessories. If you're calculating what you need for a team or an event, email the number of people and the duration to info@verpakkingdeals.nl — then we'll help you figure out a sensible quantity.
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