Cupffee has designed the ‘world’s first’ edible coffee cup, designed to avoid pollution and reduce CO2 emissions while performing as effectively as its single-use plastic counterparts.
According to Cupffee, 495,000 plastic cups are used across the globe every day; yet less than 1% are recycled, while 99% end up in soil and/or the oceans.
Its solution is a coffee cup made from seven locally sourced ingredients, including natural grains like oat bran and wheat flour, as well as coconut oil. The cup is reportedly free from artificial colourants, sweeteners, preservatives, allergens, and GMOs, and it is suitable for vegans.
It is designed to stay crunchy for at least 40 minutes, even after direct contact with a hot beverage. Furthermore, its ‘subtly sweet’, ‘cookie-like’ yet ‘neutral’ taste claims to avoid any impact on the drink’s flavour.
Apparently, the cup can withstand drink temperatures up to 85°C and match the performance of single-use alternatives. It is also thought to resist leakage for up to twelve hours.
If the cup is not eaten, it is said to be 100% biodegradable and completely break down ‘in weeks’.
Cupffee adds that its production process is intended to be zero-waste and free from industrial waste or pollution. Excess materials are repurposed to manufacture stirrers for use with the cups.
Available in 110ml and 220ml sizes (with cup holders), the edible cup is available in 55 countries. One box of ten 110ml cups is believed to save 0.6kg of CO2, with all 353 of its current clients – including partnerships with Lavazza, Costco Mexico, Metro, and Etihad Airways – believed to save 277,000 kg of CO2 emissions in total.
Cupffee is recommended for use in coffee shops, luxury retail, HoReCa, events and catering, and corporate applications, among other end uses. Customers can print their branding on the cup’s paper label.
Earlier this year, we published an overview of the edible packaging market as it stands and explored its viability as a solution to the plastic waste crisis. While it has not yet reached mass-market production, statistics suggest that the sector is gaining in popularity, and various trials have taken place in the last few years.
In other news, Ahlstrom has just released its TÜV-certified home-compostable coffee pod portfolio. This solution is designed to break down in domestic conditions without leaving harmful contaminants behind.
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