Save the Trees With Your Morning Coffee

Reduce. Reuse. Grow. That’s not only the company name but the mission behind a new biodegradable coffee cup, and it’s a brilliant one! In an era where less is more, why are we still using styrofoam cups? Many of us are actively trying to reduce our negative impact on the environment, but every day we contribute to its demise. Did you know that in the US alone we discard over 146 MILLION coffee cups annually? And that even the paper used to make recycled cups can only be used a couple of times before it has to be trashed? That’s ridiculous!

These new cups don’t just biodegrade faster than others, although they are compost certified. The fibers are taken from recycling centers, and will disintegrate in about 180 days if they are thrown away. But they have an extra component that, if utilized, will be able to extract over one ton of carbon dioxide from the environment every year!

Their secret is tree seeds. That’s right, each cup has tree seeds embedded within, so when you’re done with your coffee you just plant the cup. No waste, no mess, no problem. Unravel your cup, soak it in water for 5 minutes, then bury it in the ground, and if all goes according to plan a tree will sprout and grow.

Each cup will have its seed variety displayed on the front, as well as planting instructions on the bottom. In areas where these cups are in use, there will also be collection bins put out by Reduce. Reuse. Grow. where they can be placed for collection if you aren’t able to plant. Those collected cups will be used in reforestation projects where needed, so your cup won’t go to waste. And if you throw it away instead, the cup will be gone in 180 days leaving nothing but the seeds behind. Neat, huh?

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Reduce. Reuse. Grow. will be rolling these cups out in San Luis Obispo, CA, with plans to expand to several other California cities, Denver, and Seattle. No word on how much they cost (their Kickstarter campaign was for funding, and the only actual merchandise backers received was in the form of clothing or other memorabilia) or if they’re available to consumers only, commercial use only, or a combination of the two. But if this idea takes off, and their Kickstarter campaign leads me to believe it might, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these cups at my local coffee shop at some point.

Source: Red Ferret