KeepCup is a great idea turned into reality through a strong business vision, a commitment to sustainability and good design.
The project’s premise was that consumers should have an alternative to single-use, disposable cups for their take-away coffees.
Re-use, re-use, re-use
Much has been written about the environmental impact of single versus multiple-use cups. In terms of resource use, litter and low-recyclability rates, the case against disposables is obvious. However on the flip side, paper-based cups use comparatively little material, don’t use significant petro-chemicals and don’t need to be washed. In comparing these to a re-usable plastic cups we considered weight, material renewability and the environmental and energy impact of the manufacturing process. In addition re-usable cups need on-going water and energy use through washing.
Using several published sources (including a key study by Dr Martin Hocking from the Institute of Lifecycle Energy Analysis), KeepCup have conservatively estimated a plastic cup would use less energy than a paper cup after only 12 uses.
On balance then, the sustainability case for re-usable plastic cups is clear.
Stakeholders
With several central Melbourne outlets, our clients Abigail and Jamie Forsyth, have a track record of thinking innovatively about their café and catering business Bluebag. This provided an excellent understanding of the issues and market. During the development CobaltNiche considered three key user groups:
Retail customers; people like you and me who love their coffee but want a way to reduce the environmental footprint caused by single-use cups.
Retailers (cafes); As well as loyal local followings, many cafes have strong sustainability commitments and are open to alternatives to costly single-use cups. To work in a café, the KeepCup had to be embraced by baristas; who often work at a frenetic pace. Functionally, the cups were designed to suit commercial espresso machines (fitting under the group head) and nest efficiently, as many cafes have limited storage space. Finally, KeepCups can be used within loyalty programmes where cafes can encourage re-use and return business through discounts for refills.
Corporate customers like major companies, banks or government departments etc who are encouraging sustainable practice within their organisations by purchasing KeepCup for their staff. We designed the KeepCup to be spill-resistant to meet high OH&S objectives.
The result
From a design point of view, CobaltNiche focused on making the KeepCup so user-friendly and functional that people would prefer to use it far in excess of the environmental payback period.
Key attributes designed into the KeepCup include:
Bonding with your KeepCup: The success of this product is dependent on people having a different attitude of their KeepCup as compared to a disposal cup. Observing people’s strong attachment to a favourite mug especially in workplaces, we knew that personalising KeepCups would encourage people to ‘own’ and re-use the cup. Creating ‘points of difference’ was a key objective influencing KeepCup’s aesthetics, function and material selection.
Keeping it personal; Each of the KeepCup’s parts (cup, lid, plug and band) are available in several colours creating an exponential number of combinations (SKUs). In addition bands can be added or swapped to reflect preferences or causes.
Travelling with KeepCup; the KeepCup’s lid is designed to seal tightly so that people can take their cup home to wash confident it won’t leak even when it has residual liquid left inside.
Material; Material selection was a critical process in our development. Several materials including starch-based polymers were investigated during development. Eventually the choice of polyolefin-based plastics considered health and safety, mechanical and insulative properties and of course the environmental impact of broad recycling acceptance.
Ergonomics: Latte sippers who prefer drinking from the cup and not through a spout drove the decision to use a press-on lid. The press-on lid allows the cup’s rim to be smooth and free of screw-threads or mechanical details.
Band; The band serves several purposes. Firstly it insulates users when the cup contains especially hot beverages (like tea). Secondly it’s a means of marking your preference in coffee style, be it a strong, black espresso or a skinny decaf latte! Lastly, the band is an easy means to uniquely brand the KeepCup; be it by corporate customers who buy the cup for employees or individuals promoting a cause.
Look and Feel: Another way of being different to disposable cups was to change the look and feel. We introduced a gentle curve in the cup’s wall to subtly communicate a point of difference (as the sides of all paper cups are straight). The sealing plug also became a distinctive element in both its rotating action and curvaceous shape. The unique look and feel has enabled the KeepCup to obtain design registration and has a patent pending on the seal mechanism.
Logistics: The main KeepCup range includes 3 sizes, all with a common lid and plug. The common parts help café retailers control inventory and allow users to ‘mix & match’ lids and plugs. The common lid also produces a delightfully stubby 8oz model, reminiscent of Italian cappuccino cups.