Anicet Mbida 06:53, May 25, 2023
Anicet Mbida gives us every morning what is best in innovation. This Thursday, he is interested in edible cups made with cereals, to replace disposable cups.
Today's innovation seeks to reduce waste. We may have found an alternative to the paper cups of coffee machines: edible cups made from cereal.
From wheat flour or oat bran (this looks a bit like ice cream cones material). That way, when you grab your takeaway Matcha Latte or are offered a coffee when you arrive somewhere, you will be served it in an edible cup. And once you've drunk it, you eat the cup like a cookie and leave no waste behind.
You should know: most paper cups are not compostable. Because inside, there is a thin plastic film to waterproof them. This makes them very complicated to recycle. With edible cups, it's simpler: nothing goes to the trash.
There is no risk of leakage with a cup of cereal?
A priori, no. But the cup is only guaranteed waterproof for a maximum of 40 minutes. Afterwards, she begins to absorb the liquid. It will gradually deform. In principle, nothing should flow for at least 8 hours, which leaves a little time. But we may have surprises the next day if we forget a cup bottom next to his papers.
These are cups reputed to be full of fiber and vitamin B. But if you don't like the taste or just don't feel like eating it, at least you can throw it in the normal trash can without remorse or compost it. It will completely decompose in fifteen days.
It is an innovation of startups like Good Edi or CupFFee. Several sizes are available and they are starting to partner with coffee brands, distributor manufacturers and even airlines.
So, will it replace the cardboard cups?
They would love to... But there remains the problem of price. Cups cost only a few cents, but they are two to three times more expensive than their cardboard equivalent. This is a huge handicap in a sector with very low margins.
Note that there are also spoons, stirrers, and obviously edible and single-use straws (those of the startup IncrEdible Eats in particular). It's good for the planet. But again, we will have to get used to consuming them very quickly... before they soften or deform.