Bottlecup is a two-in-one reusable water bottle and coffee cup
CategoriesSustainable News

Bottlecup is a two-in-one reusable water bottle and coffee cup

London studio Seymourpowell has combined an insulated water bottle and a cup with a lid into a single product, Bottlecup, so users only need to remember one item when leaving the house.

The owners of Bottlecup, Kate and Mark Arnell, asked multidisciplinary agency Seymourpowell to help them create a single item that could replace both disposable water bottles and coffee cups.

They found that approximately 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are used and then thrown away each year in the UK, with only one in 400 of those being recycled.

Bottlecup in apricot colour
The product combines a vacuum-insulated bottle with a lidded cup

Recognising that reusable-cup owners often forget to carry their vessel with them, they looked for a way to unite a vacuum-insulated bottle with a lidded cup that can be used for takeaway drinks.

The project team identified that existing reusable bottles or flasks on the market either didn’t provide a cup lid, or didn’t allow the bottle and cup to be used independently of one another.

“Bottlecup innovated to combine a reusable water bottle and reusable cup and cup lid into one seamless item, where both items functioned in their fullest independently of each other without compromise,” the designers explained.

Visual of combined cup and bottle
The cup can be used on its own

The stainless-steel water bottle slots inside the cup and twists to lock it in place when carrying both items. The two elements each feature a gently curved silhouette that improves their ergonomic properties.

The cup can be released with a simple twist and used on its own or with the silicone lid, which is stored in its base so users don’t need to carry it separately when drinking beverages such as smoothies, beer or soups.

The silicone waist provides a tactile surface for holding the product, which makes twisting the cup on and off easier. The coloured band also prevents liquid from leaking into the user’s bag when the two elements are united.

A variety of colour options for the silicone band and cup lid allows Bottlecup to be personalised by selecting a favourite hue when purchasing the product. The cup is also available in a range of colours or in plain stainless steel.

Removable Bottlecup lid
A silicone lid is stored in the base

Sustainability and circular design were key concerns throughout the project, leading to the creation of a product that is plastic-free and uses no mixed materials so all of the component parts can be easily recycled.

“Designing without plastic meant features like push-close lids and mouldable rigid shapes were all restricted from the design,” the project team explained.

“The majority stainless-steel finish has a satisfyingly engineered and qualitative feel,” it added.

Bottles and cup designs by Seymourpowell
The design is available in a range of colours

The 18/8 stainless steel used for the bottle and cup can be collected by curbside recycling services, while the band and cup lid are made from food-grade silicone that can be returned to Bottlecup to be recycled responsibly.

Bottlecup features on the shortlist for the product design (consumer design and wearables) category at Dezeen Awards 2023, alongside projects including the latest version of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip smartphone and a bicycle that can easily switch between analogue and electric riding modes.

Other designs that respond to the issue of waste generated by disposable drinking cups include biodegradable cups made using home-grown vegetables and a circular-economy service called Cupclub that supplies and then recycles its own reusable coffee cups.

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A compostable clay cup replaces single-use plastic
CategoriesSustainable News

A compostable clay cup replaces single-use plastic

Spotted: Every hour, people across Germany buy 320,000 hot drinks in single-use disposable cups. And although many manufacturers have been working to make their cups recyclable, the reality is that – in Germany and beyond – little single-use packaging actually gets recycled. German startup GaeaStar has come up with a novel approach to reducing the waste, having developed disposable cups made from clay.

GaeaStar has proposed to make its cups on a special 3D printer that can create a cup in 30 seconds or less. The company plans to use a micro-factory model, establishing cup-printing centres near customers and sourcing clay locally. GaeaStar even foresees restaurants and takeaway spots having their own tabletop printers, and the cups be easily etched with a corporate logo as part of the printing process.

The cups can be washed and reused as many times as customers want and when it’s time for disposal, the cup can simply be smashed or used as a plant pot. While many clay pots can take thousands of years to decompose, the GaeaStar cup is thin and made of unglazed and unfired clay, which means it will decompose fairly rapidly.

GaeaStar recently completed a $6.5 million (around €5.9 million) seed round from investors including Morningside and Dart Labs. This is on top of an earlier $1.7 million (around €1.6 million) pre-seed round. The funds will go, in part, towards introducing the clay cups into the US in a trial with the Verve coffee chain in California, and conducting a complete life-cycle analysis of the environmental cost of the clay cups.

3D printing is rapidly becoming an important tool in developing more sustainable products. In addition to printed reusable cups, Springwise has also spotted the technology used for the manufacture of biodegradable glass and to produce fully-recyclable, custom footwear.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

A paper cup without the plastic lid
CategoriesSustainable News

A paper cup without the plastic lid

Spotted: As they drink their morning takeaway coffee, many people don’t give much thought to the cup. After all, it’s just one cup. But they add up – every year, more than 500 billion single-use paper and plastic cups are manufactured globally. Although these cups are often technically recyclable, it costs more to recycle them than to send them to make brand new plastic lids. Now, one company is tackling the problem of plastic lids by removing them altogether.

ChoosePlanetA has created a single-use cup – dubbed the Good Cup – that has an integrated lid and is made entirely from fully recyclable and compostable paper. The cups pack flat, saving storage space and energy in transportation, and are designed so that the top flap is built into the cup itself, folding and locking into place when closed to create a lid.

The sustainable paper used in the cup comes from EnvoPAP, and is made from renewable sources like sugarcane waste, instead of wood pulp. Manufacturing of the Good Cup is also compatible with existing machinery built to produce traditional paper cups.

Cyril Drouet, co-founder and managing director of ChoosePlanetA, explained: “The impact of the Good Cup’s use is far-reaching and varied; from creating significant savings at the point of production and increasing brand awareness to its most crucial and necessary impact – helping to alleviate the environmental crisis by removing plastic, one lid at a time.”

ChoosePlanetA joins various other companies in the drive for sustainable food and drink containers. Springwise has also spotted a vegetable-oil-based reusable cup, and packaging made from food waste.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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