Cupffee Secures Grant for Groundbreaking Sustainable Innovation
Thrilled to announce that Cupffee Ltd. has received a grant to implement our pioneering project: “Edible Coffee Cups and Stirrers – A Disruptive Sustainable Alternative to Non-Degradable, Massively Polluting Plastic Products.”
Daily, over 400 million disposable plastic and paper cups are used worldwide. When we add plastic stirrers and other single-use utensils—totaling approximately 850 million—this number soars to a staggering 1.2 billion waste items daily. This equates to about 3,750 tons of waste generated every single day. Shockingly, less than 1% of this waste is successfully recycled, with the rest contaminating our soil and seas for over 400 years.
The Challenge with Existing Solutions
The European Union has taken steps to address this issue with Directive (EU) 2019/904, which bans the sale of single-use plastic products, including cups, cutlery, straws, and stirrers. However, this regulation only addresses around 10% of global consumption, leaving the vast majority of the problem unresolved. Furthermore, an unintended consequence has emerged—the increasing use of wood-based alternatives, which accelerates deforestation. Most plastic cups and straws are now being replaced with paper versions coated in plastic film. In contrast, plastic cutlery and stirrers are being swapped for wooden alternatives—raising new environmental concerns.
Cupffee’s Sustainable Solution
Established with the mission to combat pollution caused by disposable plastic and laminated paper cups, Cupffee introduces two groundbreaking innovations:
- An edible, biodegradable disposable cup – Leak-proof for up to 12 hours without the need for any coatings.
- An edible, biodegradable stirrer – A sustainable alternative to plastic stirrers.
Recognition and Funding
Cupffee’s project has been recognized by the European Commission and awarded the prestigious “Seal of Excellence” under the EU’s Horizon 2020 Framework Program for Research and Innovation. In alignment with this recognition, our project is receiving funding through the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability, under the “Support for Innovative SMEs Awarded with the Seal of Excellence” procedure, within the Scientific Research and Innovation component.
The project, contract №BG-RRP-2.006-0003-C01, is valued at BGN 3,631,290.20, of which BGN 2,541,903.01 is non-reimbursable funding from the National Institute of Public Health, and BGN 1,089,387.19 is Cupffee’s own contribution. The project is set to be implemented over 24 months, starting in September 2023.
At Cupffee, committed to revolutionizing the way the world consumes beverages—offering sustainable, edible, and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional disposable cups and stirrers.
