Edible Coffee Cups: Great Idea, but Is It Ready for Prime Time?
I just came back from my local cafe, where I had a second iced coffee in the compostible cup I’d saved from yesterday (which I did compost when I’d finished it)–and discovered this article about edible coffee cups from Italian coffee giant Lavazza.
We’ve been doing this with ice cream for about a century–why not coffee?
It sounds good in principle–but I have questions:
- What if you prefer your coffee unsweetened? This cup is made of sugar.
- If this becomes popular, will it worsen the epidemic of sugar-related health problems like obesity and diabetes?
- How long will the cup last before falling apart? I tend to wait until my coffee is room temperature–does the sugar start to melt by then? I say this out of some negative experiences with very early biodegradable disposable diapers when my daughter was an infant–some brands had a tendency to start biodegrading while they were still being worn–not to mention leaky ice cream cones (despite this, when I get ice cream, it’s usually in a cone, for environmental reasons—no dishes to wash or throw away)
- Considering how much coffee is consumed in transit, can it take a lid?
- Is it too hot to hold in your hand?
Still if they can work through these issues, it’s a great concept. Obviously, I haven’t tried these cups. It’s totally possible they’ve worked through all these issues and more. I wish them well; they certainly get points for creative thinking and cross-pollination from different market sectors.
