What prompted the launch of the KeepCup?
Stuart Forsyth: There were three or four catalysts really. We come from a cafe background in Melbourne, and it was when my sister was feeding her baby from a ‘sippy’ cup that she realised how many drinks she was getting through a day and compared it to the rise in acceptance of disposable packaging.
Many cafes now serve in paper cups, even when you drink inside (not just for on-the-go). Also, we know that having coffee is a habitual thing, with many people using the same store for the same drink up to four times a day. So we approached industrial designers Cobalt Niche, asking them to come up with a cup design that could be used over and again.
Have you tested life cycle analysis? Surely the hot water used to wash the cup has to be taken into account.
Forsyth: In August 2010, Simon Lockrey from the Centre for Design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, ran a life cycle analysis. According to the results, if you use the KeepCup for a year, giving it a quick rinse after each use, compared with using disposable cups, you will see a …
Well worth the effort of a wash, we think!
What about drink deterioration? Does it keep coffee hot?
Forsyth: No, we’re not replacing the Thermos-style mugs, as this is really meant for drinks that are going to be drunk straight away. But it will keep coffee hot for around 20 minutes.
What’s the reaction in UK coffee shops? Who is most amenable?
Forsyth: We now have agreements with about 40 coffee shops, mostly small independents such as Flat White in Soho and The Espresso Room in Bloomsbury, but also with Pret a Manger, which is quite sustainable in its message (and we love their food and coffee, too).
How does the pricing work?
Forsyth: Well, Pret is selling them at £6.50 each, with the first coffee free. Many coffee shops are also offering a discount to those bringing them back, as it saves on stock of paper cups.
This has the potential for a global change in drinking habits. Why do you think it isn’t being taken up so rapidly?
Forsyth: Well, it has only been here for a year and there are already a lot of fans. It’s the right size to go under an espresso machine, unlike the steel travel mugs that are made to fit taller US filter coffee machines.
Actually, it is being taken up rapidly on a corporate level. For instance, HSBC, Investec, John Lewis, EDF and WWF have all taken them on a corporate basis for their staff. They’re branded in company colours and so market the company each time they visit a coffee shop, as well as emphasising a commitment to reducing carbon footprint.
Claire Phoenix is managing editor of Beverage Innovation magazine. Subscribe here.
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