Startup hopes to reduce waste with edible alternative to single-use coffee cups

Startup hopes to reduce waste with edible alternative to single-use coffee cups. What are they made of?

MoreThanCup was founded in 2022 with the goal of cutting down on single-use coffee cups, which often end up in landfills
MoreThanCup was founded in 2022 with the goal of cutting down on single-use coffee cups, which often end up in landfill.
Lee Bell
Lee Bell Meteored United Kingdom 4 min

A startup from Kosovo is taking aim at the problem of coffee cup waste with a fresh solution: edible coffee cups.

The company, called MoreThanCup, was founded in 2022 with the goal of cutting down on single-use coffee cups, which often end up in landfills. By making a cup you can eat after finishing your coffee, they hope to make a dent in the vast amounts of waste caused by disposable coffee cups.

The idea behind MoreThanCup is simple but bold. Disposable coffee cups, even those made of paper, are often lined with plastic to prevent leaks, making them tricky to recycle. This means that many of these cups are thrown away instead, adding to landfill waste. MoreThanCup’s edible cups aim to change that by offering a product that doesn’t need to be thrown away at all. Just gobbled up by means of a small snack.

To eat or not to eat?

The team behind MoreThanCup has put in a lot of work to make sure their cups are both practical and safe to eat. According to the company's website, the startup spent months researching and testing different materials to make a cup that can handle hot coffee without falling apart.

The cup is also designed to be pretty tasty for those who choose to chomp it down. It comes in four different, vegan-friendly flavours, three of which are on the more decadent side, comprising chocolate, double chocolate, vanilla. Then there's a "healthy" option, which is sugar-free. And for those who aren't that hungry, it's still fully biodegradable, so won’t harm the environment if discarded.

The edible coffee cups come in four different, vegan-friendly flavours: chocolate, double chocolate, vanilla and the "healthy" option, which is sugar-free.
The edible coffee cups come in four different, vegan-friendly flavours: chocolate, double chocolate, vanilla and the "healthy" option, which is sugar-free.

MoreThanCup said that the idea behind the cups came from research that people are increasingly looking for ways to make everyday choices more sustainable. The brand also highlighted how single-use items, like coffee cups, have come under fire of late due to the waste they create, and there’s a growing demand for alternatives that don’t leave a lasting impact on the environment.

"With a firm commitment to environmental consciousness and a drive to reduce single-use plastic waste, we embarked on a journey to create a product that not only serves its purpose but also leaves a positive impact on the planet," the firm's 'about' page reads.

"Our edible cups represent a leap forward in eco-friendly alternatives, offering a sustainable solution without compromising on taste or functionality."

While the cups are available to buy now from the company's online shop, Morethancup said it is currently working on gathering feedback to improve the taste and durability of the product to make them even more practical for everyday use.

Whether these edible cups will become a regular sight in coffee shops remains to be seen. Changing habits is often slow, and the idea of eating your receptacle right after drinking from it might be too weird for some people. Regardless, it's a step in the right direction. And perhaps a super novel idea like this is what's needed to help push a shift toward reducing waste.