Hasta La Ideas

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pAfter three weeks, the a href=”http://www.thebetacup.com/”Betacup Challenge/a is approaching the halfway point and going strong with over 152 ideas, 348 revisions, 941 comments, 1195 votes and over 1500 pending submissions. The challenge is asking designers to invent a means to dramatically reduce the wastage resulting from unrecyclable paper coffee cups, with a $20,000 prize to the two winners./p

pThe competition will continue to accept entries until early June. Register a href=”http://bit.ly/bBEKJL”here/a to submit an idea, or simply to browse and rate./p

pSo far, entries have mostly gone one of two ways: either directly addressing the problem of the cup or suggesting ways to change consumer behavior through new corporate policies and structures. Last time we discussed a few of the non-cup solutions. But, as many competition entrants have pointed out, behavioral change is often slow, and a better, less wasteful cup is worth looking into./p

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pOf all the cup-based ideas so far, the a href=”http://www.jovoto.com/contests/drink-sustainably/ideas/4795″Une Coffee Cup/a, submitted by Tom Fereday, is one of the most convincing. It doesn’t attempt to do anything beyond being a recyclable coffee cupmdash;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. /p

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pWe also like a href=”http://www.jovoto.com/contests/drink-sustainably/ideas/4778″No-Side/a, by Mac Funamizu. Instead of designing a collapsible cup, the portable system includes only a lid and a bottom, with an elastic band to hold a disposable cup body, provided by the coffee vendor. These cup bodies pack flat, expanding into a cylinder that fits on the base of the No-Side cup system. This paper element can be collected for a discount on your next coffee or easily recycled on the go./p

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pFinally, Manueldr’s a href=”http://www.jovoto.com/contests/drink-sustainably/ideas/4587″Coffee Cup/a is made from coffee grounds, pressed into a vessel by a special machine on the spot. Soy wax, a biodegradable material, would hold it together and provide a waterproof seal. Afterwards, the cup can biodegrades and can be added to a compost pile. /p

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