You’re on your way to work, and your hand clutches that familiar paper cup. You take that first warm sip of coffee goodness, and something about it makes the day seem much more bearable. It’s your daily dose of liquid motivation, your trusted companion on the go. But have you ever stopped to think about what happens to that coffee cup after you’ve savored every drop of your latte or espresso?
Americans drink over 400 million cups of coffee daily amongst 150 million coffee drinkers — an average of three cups per day. Now imagine the amount of single-use takeaway coffee cups that adds up to — it’s about 16 billion per year. While you may be thinking, “They’re paper and recyclable,” the truth is that, in most cases, they’re lined with plastic to handle the hot beverage, and it takes about 30 years to break down.
The Coffee Cup Solution
This is an issue that many have tried to find a solution to. We’ve had the reusable keep-cup, which many people either forget to bring or don’t want to carry around. We’ve had 100% compostable cups and biodegradable cups. Many of these are more expensive than your average takeaway cup and may deter cafe owners from purchasing them. Now, one coffee shop may have the answer. Would you eat your cup?
Edible Coffee Cups
We eat ice cream cones and edible bread bowls, so why not coffee cups? A zero-waste shop in Bristol, England, introduced edible coffee cups that can hold beverages up to 185 F and stay crispy for up to 40 minutes. The Bulgarian company Cupffee developed the cup with the slogan “Nice to Eat You!”
According to Cupffee’s website, the cup has been in production since 2014 and is used by companies such as Etihad Airways, Lavazza, and H&M. They say that it does not alter the taste of your coffee and requires no recycling.
A Zero Green barista featured on Bristol Live says the cups are crafted from wheat and barley, describing them as similar to a “thick ice cream wafer” with a “nutty, wheaty taste.”
If you’re worrying about adding the extra calories to your waistline, there’s no need — the cups only add an additional 56 for the small cup and 105 for the large. Cupffee ships worldwide.
Source: Fox News
Ree Winter is a freelance food, travel, and lifestyle journalist. She is an Australian who enjoys traveling the globe and currently calls New Orleans home. Her byline appears in The Thrillist, Inside the Magic, The Streamable, Mashed, The Daily Meal, Apartment Advisor, and Weekend Notes. Fellow Australians may have seen her printed work in The Geelong Advertiser and Docklands News. Besides this, she follows her passions in history and travel plus will gladly admit to being a crazy cat lady.