DENVER -- It may have seemed like a lofty goal: Save 40,000 paper cups from the landfill. But one coffee shop did it.

"We did it at noon today," said Nick Berry, who works at the Fluid Coffee Bar on the corner of 19th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street. "It was awesome."

The coffee bar had been working on the goal since the beginning of 2009 and opened nonstop since 6 a.m. on Dec. 30 to make sure they met the goal within a year. Instead of using paper cups, all drinks were served in in-house mugs or travel mugs. At noon Sunday, employees served the 40,000th drink without a paper cup.

"The idea was to get people more focused on sustainability," Berry said Sunday.

Berry said the shop's owner, Jeff Aitken, wanted to promote sustainability by using less materials and then donating the money saved to nonprofits.

An estimated 41 million coffee cups are thrown away each day, Aitken said, citing the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association.

Aitken will donate 5 cents from each paper cup saved to nonprofit organizations. That's $2,000 that will go to charity.

"This is a big deal, not just because it has a positive impact on the environment, community and business but because it is a giant step in demonstrating how collaboration and creativity between small business and the local community can lead to positive change," Aitken said.