Winds of Change: Circular Coffee Cups

Cornwall-based Circular&Co. was founded in 2003 by Dan Dicker with a clear and unchanged mission; to make circular design the new global standard. For more than 20 years, Circular&Co. has developed circular solutions to address the ‘throwaway’ culture in our society. Its range of reusable, returnable, and recyclable drinkware made from waste products serves as an inspirational ethos that encourages a more circular way of living.

In founder Dan’s own words, there really is no place for waste. The principle behind circular design is to use materials for as long as possible. This means creating products that are made from recycled content, designed to be durable and long lasting, and at the end of their lives, fully recyclable. By using materials in this way, CO2 emissions are drastically reduced and the planet’s natural resources are protected. It also ensures that less waste enters the environment, which can harm wildlife and pollute the planet.

Every product created by Circular&Co. has been designed with complete circularity in mind. From coffee cups made from disposable paper cups to water bottles made from recycled stainless steel, Circular&Co are leading the way with innovative and conscious design that gives value to every material.

Every year, billions of disposable cups are used for take-away hot drinks. With only 5 percent of consumers using a reusable cup, these numbers haven’t gone unnoticed at Circular&Co. Even with the advancements in compostable and recyclable cups, they are still typically made of cardboard coated with a plastic layer. This makes them difficult to recycle because the plastic and cardboard are hard to separate and the unfortunate fact remains – they are still single-use. For the past two years, Dan and his team have been developing a solution that supports businesses looking to be more sustainable by taking single-use cups out of the picture entirely.

Enter, The Circular Returnable Cup. A pioneering initiative, the sustainable drinkware specialist’s Circular Returnable Cups have been specifically designed for commercial deposit return schemes. This means that rather than using a disposable cup for a takeaway beverage, drinks are served in a returnable cup, which is effectively borrowed from the establishment, and then returned on the customer’s next visit to be used again and again and again. Other than a small refundable deposit, the scheme is free for the user, and the high-quality design means that each cup is designed to last over 1,000 commercial wash cycles – making it a cost-effective, affordable solution for businesses to replace single use. At the end of the cup's life, they are 100% ‘real world’ recyclable—an impressive win-win.

@circularandco / circularandco.com