The Martlet

Still using a disposable cup every time you refuel on coffee? If so, you’re helping The Paper Cup Army.

Students may have spotted the army in the quad last Thursday, March 5, when it made its first appearance on campus. The installation of overturned disposable cups with little angry faces and arms drawn on was created by third-year Spanish student, April Revitt.

“It’s a fun way to make a statement about something serious,” Revitt said. “People are making a lot of trash with disposable cups ... a simple decision to use a travel mug can make a real difference.”

Rivitt herself is rarely seen on campus without a her reusable mug, unless of course the army is holding it hostage. The cup army carried an axe and had speech bubbles that said things like “March!” as they stared down three reusable travel mugs chained to a tree.

Revitt created the army entirely out of used coffee cups, which she and her friends picked out of garbage cans and off the ground.

“It didn’t take us long to collect a whole army of cups,” Rivitt said. “I don’t think people realize how much they throw away.”

The different colour cups were clustered together making different armies, from Tim Hortons browns to the red and blacks of the Bibliocafe.

One of the speech bubbles had details for a Facebook group called “the paper cup army” where people are encouraged to report their sightings of the army.

“My hope was that people I didn’t know would join the group and start a dialogue about our disposable culture,” Rivitt said.

After the first installation the group grew to 33 members. The army will be making more appearances on campus. “Basically I’m just going to set it up when I can find the time between everything else,” Rivitt said.