Reduce, Reuse, Grow is a new and very creative company based in California. Production of biodegradable cups is not something new on the market, but this company managed to add seeds in cups which means that if it is thrown away on the ground it can grow into a tree. Of course, if you properly plant the used cup the chances of getting a tree from the trash will be higher. It is no surprise that this excellent idea is now a very popular Kickstarter project.
What is even more interesting is that the cups have different seeds suitable for different locations because as we all know some trees require special conditions. Stores that have signed up for the program will suggest to customers to plant the cups or to return these cups to the stores so that the staff can plant them.
Biodegradable Coffee Cups with Seeds
Now let’s see what Alex Henige one of the main designers in this project has to say about these awesome biodegradable coffee cups with seeds.
According to Mr. Henige, California is the perfect place to start with this type of project because of the unique ecosystems with hundreds of different species of plants. They were using the help of ecology experts and soil scientists to test some species in the backyard of their company’s headquarters. The experience they’ve gained can now be used in different regions which will make the testing period shorter.
So far, they were able to test a handful of seeds that are typical for California. The coffee heat doesn’t present any problem because the seeds are located in the cup and they are not directly affected by the coffee.
Both the paper and the liner are accumulating most of the heat which means that the seeds are perfectly safe. After all, they are exposed to heat only for a short period.
According to Mr. Hering, we should not forget about the fact that the seeds that they have tested so far are known for their durability and their resistance to external influences. They still have to test the rest of the seeds that are native to California and in case they don’t respond well to the heat they will probably look for another design.
No matter if they will be able to create coffee cups with all the seeds or not, the truth is that this is an excellent eco-friendly product that can grow into something really big.
- Source: BoredPanda
- More info: Bored Panda | Bored Panda (h/t: laughingsquid)
