From 1 January 2024, disposable cups are no longer allowed at the office. In anticipation of that, there are now white china cups by our coffee machines. A good development. The only thing is, we foresee problems in Leeuwenborch because there are ‘no washing-up facilities yet’. And never to wash up your coffee mug – like a now retired colleague, whose mug had a brown patina on the inside – is going a bit far for some of us.
Luckily, people are keen to come up with solutions. We got an email saying that a system is being set up with the caterer for washing up the cups every weekday.’ There are two trays on every floor now, one for clean cups and one for used ones, which will be washed up in the kitchen every day. You’re allowed to put your own mug on that tray, but there is a risk of it getting lost or broken. ‘So it’s important not to send any cups of sentimental value.’
I try to decide out how much sentimental value I attach to my coffee mug. Not much, to be honest. Certainly a lot less than I do to my daily soup bowl. Until recently we had standard soup bowls in the canteen, which held at least two ladles of soup. That soup always tasted delicious.
But with all those extra cups to wash, the new caterer has done away with the familiar soup bowls and we now get our soup in shallow dishes that hold only one ladle of soup. Three sips and it’s gone, just when you’re starting to enjoy it.
I try to figure out how much sentimental value I attach to my coffee mug
Of course, you could take two dishes of soup, but that will give the caterer even more washing up. What’s more, they’ve also raised the price by 50 per cent. For that price you’re better off going to a restaurant where they bring your soup on the tray and ask you if everything’s alright.
I study my coffee mug again. Nice and big, and it has a handle. Maybe I can make a deal with the caterer. If I can have my soup in my mug, I’ll wash it up myself.
Sjoukje Osinga (56) is an assistant professor of Information Technology. She sings alto in the Wageningen choir Musica Vocale, has three student sons and enjoys birdwatching with her husband in the Binnenveldse Hooilanden.
