The rCUP
A Sustainable Cup, Made of Cups!
Image Source: https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/storm-in-a-paper-cup
Annually billions of cups of take-away coffee are sold in Canada, and the single-use coffee cups that they are served in end up in landfills. Disposable paper coffee cups are non-recyclable- the carboard cup is lined with a plastic layer, making these materials difficult to separate during the recycling process.
As mentioned in The University of British Columbia’s case study Ecological and Social Effects of Single-Use Coffee Cups, 2.6 million paper coffee cups end up in landfills each week, just in Vancouver.
As you can imagine, this is a much bigger issue than most think- so what can we do? The use of reusable coffee cups, biodegradable alternatives, as well as single-use cup recycling programs are so important as they reduce the environmental impact of both consumers and businesses.
Simply Cups, is an Australian company with a coffee take-away coffee cup recycling program. The company supplies recycling receptacles to businesses, workplaces, and schools, so cups can be recycled of properly. Recycled coffee cups collected within this program get a second life, used as the material that makes up the outer, insulating layer of the rCUP!
Image Source: https://www.simplycups.com.au/rcup
The rCUP was designed by former Dyson designer Dan Dicker and a team of recycling experts, who had a vision to create a superior and sustainable reusable cup. They designed the rCUP so it the first reusable mug to be made from recycled single-use coffee cups. The cup is BPA free, dishwasher safe, has a 10+year lifetime, is both leakproof and insulated, is 100% recyclable, and best of all- prevents single-use cups from ending up in the waterways!
Image Source: https://www.deepbluecleanup.com/merchandise/p/deep-blue-cleanup-tumbler
Deep Blue Cleanup is now selling rCUP tumblers with their logo on it! Check out our merch at
Deep Blue Cleanup Reusable Tumbler — Deep Blue Cleanup
To learn more about Simply Cups and the rCUP, check out their site Simply Cups Australia
References:
https://cases.open.ubc.ca/w17t2con200-3/