The Betacup Challenge—now entering its second half—is asking designers to invent a more earth-friendly solution to the current non-recyclable coffee cup. With sponsorship from Core77 and Starbucks, The Betacup project is offering $20,000 to the person who can best channel their inner treehugger and do their part to save the planet.
So far there has been about 200 ideas accounted for, and a few clear favorites have garnered some attention. Core77 believes that the Une Coffee Cup, submitted by Tom Fereday, is one of the most convincing.
According to Core77:
“It doesn’t attempt to do anything beyond being a recyclable coffee cup—this is what makes it good. The cup is 100% recyclable, made as one component, in one mold with one material, black polypropylene. The lid hinges, and plastic ribs around the cup’s circumference create a cool outer surface.”
Check out some other submissions over at the Betacup gallery and let them know what you think so far. Or get crackin’ and submit an idea. If you do win the 20 grand, please remember who sent you.
What is wrong with people? Why are we always so wastefully obsessed about recycling — the most questionable and least effective of all environmental practices. We throw reduce and reuse under the bus and make recycling the be-all, end-all goal of environmentalism.
Instead of producing more crap to throw away, recycle or not, how about an emphasis on reduce and reuse so we never get to this stage?
Again… Environmental efforts sometimes do not look at the big picture. Is the material safe? Are these practical in regards to storage and inventory?
Unfortunately these arguments are hard to make when the initial effort to make a difference is set forth, regardless of how misguided they might be.
My question is – is it good for the body to drink out of such a cup? 365 days later will you have stomach cancer, or bowel cancer? As you may well know what is good for the planet is not necessarily good for the body.
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Jack, Thanks for the comment. Good call, as it appears that many of these concepts are done without consideration of the cup’s full life cycle, which of course goes deeper than the consumption part that most are familiar with. Thanks for the insight.
Interesting. Can we see 50 stacked? The hinged lid is interesting but not necessary and a hindrance to cafe operations which require a lot of cups available quickly and kept in a small space. And, while I love the idea of a recyclable cup, remember that water bottles are, technically speaking, recyclable, too, yet the vast majority end up in landfills. Go shopping and look for a recycle bin. See one? No.