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Biodegradable Coffee Cups Embedded With Seeds Grow Into Trees When Thrown Away
A creative company in California called Reduce. Reuse. Grow has designed a coffee cup that is not only biodegradable but even has seeds in its walls so that it can be planted and grown into tree saplings and flowers!
The eco-friendly cups, which are currently part of a Kickstarter campaign, will have seeds embedded in their walls based on their locations. Participating stores will encourage people to plant the cups themselves or to return them to be planted by the company.
Read on for designer Alex Henige’s answers to some of Bored Panda’s questions about his unique design cups!
More info: planttrash.com | Kickstarter (h/t: laughingsquid)
“We have such a diverse ecosystem here that we can test over 1000 species pretty much all in our backyard with some of the world’s leading soil scientists, and eco gurus,” Alex Henige explained to Bored Panda. “This is where we will work out all the details and be able to start testing growing plants of other regions to make the process run smoother.”
“We have done testing with only a handful of native wildflower seeds here in California as related to coffee heat. We have had no problem with their germination because they are not coming in direct contact with the coffee itself.”
“The liner, as well as the paper, absorbs a lot of the heat, allowing the seeds not to be effected directly.”
“We do know that there are a handful of seeds that will make it no problem, due to the nature in which they are meant for in the wild, very hardy and durable. However, with a majority of the seeds, it will take time to really lock in the temperatures and times exposed to these temps to all operate and germinate properly.”
“This is a product I stand behind fully, and I look forward to seeing where and how this smart invention develops within the next couple of months!.”
We’d like to thank Alex Henige from the Reduce. Reuse. Grow team for answering Bored Panda’s questions!
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What do you think ?
CharlieKamer 9 years ago
This would be a great promotion for Starbucks to pick up on, use there coffee cups to plant in the neighborhood....
yseta46 9 years ago
and PEET'S. and DUTCH BROS. and all the other coffee moguls.
Load More Replies...
ClaireManuell 9 years ago
Great idea BUT as a land manager in Australia, let's make sure that well-meaning companies research first - NO EXOTIC WEEDS PLEASE
SoniaEinersen 9 years ago
It does state that seeds are different depending on the location
Load More Replies...
SheriSaperstein 9 years ago
I love this idea, but not sure tree seeds are practical. Perhaps wildflower seeds would be better. Or even just something healthy for soil
SheaSandy 9 years ago
Like the video says, the seeds vary depending on location. Some are wild flowers, some are trees, all have instructions. Watch video.
Load More Replies...
JaneBremmer 9 years ago
Cute! But not reduce or reuse! Why not just provide reusable cups. You can dress up a disposable cup however you like. Its still disposable!
ThomasBlackburn 9 years ago
There is already a market in reusable cups. Disposable cups are still the main vessel for companies providing hot beverages.
Load More Replies...
Celso Domene 6 years ago
Paper isn’t biodegradable, paper is water soluble. The cellullose is made with caustic soda, no bacteria can eat this.... Don’t confuse disapearing with biodegradation.
Mark Sampson 5 years ago
Agreed. Most of these are going to end up in the garbage/landfill anyway. Lot of trouble for not much benefit.
Load More Replies...
Matthew Fallon 5 years ago
I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer about this, it is obviously well intentioned, but I kind of foresee the majority of these cups still ending up in landfills , just wasting those seeds, while a great portion of them will end up as litter on the streets Etc and the seeds growing in inappropriate places for those plants especially the tree species they mentioned which could actually cause quite a bit of damage.
CorinaRoessler 9 years ago
As much as I LOVE the concept behind it (save-the-planet and eco-friendly products), I actually think this is a really BAD idea. For those who are going to take their empty cups deep into forests to plant them, great (but not likely.) But has anyone thought about all of those that are tossed aside by litterbugs? Where do they get tossed? On boulevards, streetsides, roadsides, highways (out the car window), etc. Many roadsides have specifically been cleared of trees because, well, they need to be. Yes, it's sad. But think about the fact that all of these roads /highways have been engineered with a great deal of planning; some are even kept up beautifully with plants /grass etc by city maintenance... and what will happen if random trees just start growing everywhere? Root growth could even cause pavement upheaval/ structural problems. Or in parks /playgrounds, etc? A million places where this would actually be more of a problem. Great concept, problematic details.
W M Rosoff 5 years ago
Good points. It's purely a marketing gimmick with zero ecological benefits that basically encourages people to litter. "Lack of tree seeds" is simply not an issue that needs addressing, and certainly not in any location where people would be consuming these cups. Amazing to me how few people commenting here can see that.
Load More Replies...
SteveHarris 9 years ago
Very thoughtful conservationist idea. My main concern would be GMO seeds or chemicals leeching into coffee or environment.
ThomasBlackburn 9 years ago
How slow are you drinking the coffee? Plus the article states that there is a barrier to protect the seeds from coffee heat.
Load More Replies...
ViktoriaUhlin 9 years ago
Amazing, I hope this idea spreads all over the world! But please, get rid of that f*cking plastic lid!
Michael Walker 5 years ago
Are these seed coffee cups available for me to purchase online now?
Alberta Fink 5 years ago
What happens IF these cups are disposed of in the ocean or lakes or large bodies of water? Will they deposit ‘trees’ to grow then? It’s a great idea though!
Judy Cobern 5 years ago
Great Encourage people to throw their cups on the ground....That will look lovely to see cups Everywhere while you are waiting for a seed to germinate
Jenny Kedward 5 years ago
This doesn't not help the fact that we use disposable cups. If/when these end up in a landfill, they won't grow. And will the seeds be native to each area?
Jeff Sandford 5 years ago
Love the concept - the significant challenge is to change consumer behavior. How will Reduce Reuse Grow influence consumer behavior to not simply throw the cups in trash or recycle bins defeating their intended purpose? If they end up in landfills, mingled & buried under tons of trash, they will not decompose as stated, nor will they germinate and produce flowers or trees as stated. If they can solve for that in a significant and meaningful way - the product has a chance.
John Orjias 5 years ago
Ok sorry, the biodegrable cup idea of course is very good, but the seed part not so much. You will end up with trees growing where people do not want them and them getting cut down anyway.
Brenda Wheat-Sinclair 5 years ago
Only thing I wonder about is will the heat from the hot beverage kill some of the seeds. Will it make coffee cost more because of the cup and process of making? Will it encourage more people to throw it out the car window cause the know it bio- degradable? The lid...is it still going to be made out of plastic? Just some questions.
Jack Cracker 5 years ago
I would like to see it in Florida one day soon, but can't grow California plants in Florida. What ever state you want to include you would want to include that state's flowers and/or fruits.
W M Rosoff 5 years ago
Wow, that's brilliant! Brilliant marketing that is. These businesses taking advantage of growing antipathy to single use by promoting *more* single use are taking chutzpah to truly impressive levels. "Biodegradable" plastic bags that don't biodegrade, "non-plastic" plastics made from hippie-sounding plant materials, and now cups that tell people they're saving the planet by littering. Very clever marketing, but to think there's any net benefit to the planet is ridiculous. There are places in the world where it makes sense to plant trees from seed, and there are places where people walk around drinking $6 lattes from disposable cups, but these places are *nowhere* near each-other. And until you see tribesman in Borneo popping into Starbucks to spend a days wage on a nice frothy cappuccino, or until the SF Parks Department issues a press release requesting people to please indiscriminately plant tree seeds in the city's green spaces that will continue to be the case.
Leandra Perdue-Travasos 5 years ago
Awesome. will there be trees in out landfills now or do we plant these? Either way it’s a great idea and glad someone thought of this
Louise Vance 5 years ago
And the lids? If they are plastic, they are going straight into the oceans or landfill 91% of the time. Only 9% of single-use plastic is ever recycled. My concern is that your product is perpetuating and even encouraging our disposable lifestyle. The lids!!
Carol Butts 5 years ago
https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acs.org%2Fcontent%2Facs%2Fen%2Fpressroom%2Fpresspacs%2F2019%2Facs-presspac-may-29-2019%2Fcompostable-food-containers-could-release-pfas-into-environment.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR162nucElXcT0cBcIS_TjWX0afxafcqWlpVv0SCYtsf1vvxRFt3v6KNj_4&h=AT3XZXm4hpiZwujG-mdqQwKy4_XCdHhdReVa3IBokizgh6nlygbIU-WvxlkE1qA2DwfvmbGZMAFn_Ix9uVjImQeaVNufHY5vmmmayx19hf-OzCgtrWRmt6m0Wd6A4tlgTtlod3ut__JLbF-1wlyLHewU2g
Justine Lobb 5 years ago
We just love this!! Can you tell us how long the cup takes to biodegrade?
Mark Sampson 5 years ago
Most of them are going to end up in the garbage anyway. Seems like a lot of trouble for very little benefit.
Kathie Jones 5 years ago
That is cool...but I would like to see diversity of the seed. Trees don't always work in all locations the cups may end up, but flowers do. Something like Sunflowers, Milk Weed, Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, etc. would be amazing!
Daniel Maissan 5 years ago
I do love the idea. My only real question is about the (by the looks of it) black, plastic lit used in the video... In the drawings I see a lit as well... What is going to be the solution for tat?
Dave Hoskinson 8 years ago
I also think this is a great idea, now for the but. How many people do you think will take the time to plant these? How would these cups react in the trash? Do you think maybe they could work in our land fills because I have a feeling that is where most of them will end up. If they could bloom there then Dam this would be an even better idea.
Mark Sampson 5 years ago
I agree. National Geographic took core samples from a 40-year-old landfill a few decades ago. The most telling photo was of a whole t-bone steak which had not decomposed in 40 years. There won't be the water or nutrients that a seed/seedling needs in a landfill. They will just be garbage, like every other coffee cup, except with seeds.
Load More Replies...
RobynSleeper 8 years ago
I'm sure there are good qualities to this idea, but there are some others that may not work so well. I often pick up trash, on beaches, along roads in my neighborhood, and many such cups end up in ditches along the roadside. This would be a bad place for trees to sprout up in, as ditches are meant to shed water. Something to think about. If people took their cups and planted them, then that might be good, but really many people don't want their yard full of trees, and most do not have an extra lot that they want to plant trees in, and if they did, they probably would do it with seedlings of preferred trees rather than planting used coffee cups. Biodegradable is great, but I'm thinking the seeds aren't so great. And would these cups be shipped to areas where the seeds would then be an introduced and possibly invasive species to that area, vs indigenous ones? And how could you really control that at all?
LetitiaKemister 9 years ago
love it to peices, as long as they are careful to propogate local species.
DonnaDeMasi 9 years ago
The Best Idea. You would have to make sure you only have indigenous plants for each each region world wide. Would cost a lot to set up.
DianeTenHoopen 9 years ago
Is there any info posted about the cup liners? I'm curious to know about the plastics and chemicals used in that portion of the cup.
LynnBroaddus 9 years ago
Since you asked ... gimmick. At best, cups will be composted with intentional effort to reduce seed sprouting / weeds. More likely, landfill
ChristelPlatt 9 years ago
Northface has a tag on their shirts I saw made the same way with seeds!
JanaMcCormick 9 years ago
The links to support this great idea are above the video clip. I'm going!
JanaMcCormick 9 years ago
It would be great if bored panda actually had a link here to the company's kickstarter page or to the company itself.
SerenaZabriskie 9 years ago
Love the idea, more beauty for Mother Nature, need t be a global cooperation to succeed everywhere.
HelenEldridge 9 years ago
Yes its a good idea, but what about more coffee shops going back to the old-fashioned crockery cups and saucers? Why disposable at all?
MackieSang 9 years ago
Interesting concept. We have long been a throw away society, and using that habit for environment advantage would be ideal.
LarrySummers 9 years ago
I think this is a great idea, especially if the seeds are hemp seeds.
DorothyHoffman 9 years ago
Love the theory, but practicality is limited. Cups need to be planted not "thrown away" to have any chance of growing. Geog. variations, too
DavidNewton 9 years ago
Great Idea! I do wonder about people in cold climates during the winter. The ground is frozen. There is no planting. Growth in a landfill?
GlynisLailann 9 years ago
We have just suffered a devastating fire on Table Mountain here in Cape Town. These cups would have been ideal.
MarkConnelly 9 years ago
That is a great idea. I thought I was the only one interested in tree seeds. www.mypodshots.com.
JeaninePerez-Mengel 9 years ago
Fantastic idea. Maybe use them for burn areas too. Love the ca poppies.
CherrillGavin 9 years ago
THe very best fun idea I have heard of.I hope it comes to Australia.
SusanShendaruk 9 years ago
Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! Get Tim Horton's on board in Canada.
CatherineHaran-lomino 9 years ago
This is a great idea! Please send this McDonald's and fun in donuts! At least Starbucks recycles, the others don't.
ToriBarker 9 years ago
This would be cool if it were available to big companies as well as small business coffee shops.
BaNuBaNuBa 9 years ago
It's an amazing idea to embed it in coffee cups. In Turkey, a company makes invitation cards with the same idea..
CharlieKamer 9 years ago
This would be a great promotion for Starbucks to pick up on, use there coffee cups to plant in the neighborhood....
yseta46 9 years ago
and PEET'S. and DUTCH BROS. and all the other coffee moguls.
Load More Replies... ClaireManuell 9 years ago
Great idea BUT as a land manager in Australia, let's make sure that well-meaning companies research first - NO EXOTIC WEEDS PLEASE
SoniaEinersen 9 years ago
It does state that seeds are different depending on the location
Load More Replies... SheriSaperstein 9 years ago
I love this idea, but not sure tree seeds are practical. Perhaps wildflower seeds would be better. Or even just something healthy for soil
SheaSandy 9 years ago
Like the video says, the seeds vary depending on location. Some are wild flowers, some are trees, all have instructions. Watch video.
Load More Replies... JaneBremmer 9 years ago
Cute! But not reduce or reuse! Why not just provide reusable cups. You can dress up a disposable cup however you like. Its still disposable!
ThomasBlackburn 9 years ago
There is already a market in reusable cups. Disposable cups are still the main vessel for companies providing hot beverages.
Load More Replies... Celso Domene 6 years ago
Paper isn’t biodegradable, paper is water soluble. The cellullose is made with caustic soda, no bacteria can eat this.... Don’t confuse disapearing with biodegradation.
Mark Sampson 5 years ago
Agreed. Most of these are going to end up in the garbage/landfill anyway. Lot of trouble for not much benefit.
Load More Replies... Matthew Fallon 5 years ago
I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer about this, it is obviously well intentioned, but I kind of foresee the majority of these cups still ending up in landfills , just wasting those seeds, while a great portion of them will end up as litter on the streets Etc and the seeds growing in inappropriate places for those plants especially the tree species they mentioned which could actually cause quite a bit of damage.
CorinaRoessler 9 years ago
As much as I LOVE the concept behind it (save-the-planet and eco-friendly products), I actually think this is a really BAD idea. For those who are going to take their empty cups deep into forests to plant them, great (but not likely.) But has anyone thought about all of those that are tossed aside by litterbugs? Where do they get tossed? On boulevards, streetsides, roadsides, highways (out the car window), etc. Many roadsides have specifically been cleared of trees because, well, they need to be. Yes, it's sad. But think about the fact that all of these roads /highways have been engineered with a great deal of planning; some are even kept up beautifully with plants /grass etc by city maintenance... and what will happen if random trees just start growing everywhere? Root growth could even cause pavement upheaval/ structural problems. Or in parks /playgrounds, etc? A million places where this would actually be more of a problem. Great concept, problematic details.
W M Rosoff 5 years ago
Good points. It's purely a marketing gimmick with zero ecological benefits that basically encourages people to litter. "Lack of tree seeds" is simply not an issue that needs addressing, and certainly not in any location where people would be consuming these cups. Amazing to me how few people commenting here can see that.
Load More Replies... SteveHarris 9 years ago
Very thoughtful conservationist idea. My main concern would be GMO seeds or chemicals leeching into coffee or environment.
ThomasBlackburn 9 years ago
How slow are you drinking the coffee? Plus the article states that there is a barrier to protect the seeds from coffee heat.
Load More Replies... ViktoriaUhlin 9 years ago
Amazing, I hope this idea spreads all over the world! But please, get rid of that f*cking plastic lid!
Michael Walker 5 years ago
Are these seed coffee cups available for me to purchase online now?
Alberta Fink 5 years ago
What happens IF these cups are disposed of in the ocean or lakes or large bodies of water? Will they deposit ‘trees’ to grow then? It’s a great idea though!
Judy Cobern 5 years ago
Great Encourage people to throw their cups on the ground....That will look lovely to see cups Everywhere while you are waiting for a seed to germinate
Jenny Kedward 5 years ago
This doesn't not help the fact that we use disposable cups. If/when these end up in a landfill, they won't grow. And will the seeds be native to each area?
Jeff Sandford 5 years ago
Love the concept - the significant challenge is to change consumer behavior. How will Reduce Reuse Grow influence consumer behavior to not simply throw the cups in trash or recycle bins defeating their intended purpose? If they end up in landfills, mingled & buried under tons of trash, they will not decompose as stated, nor will they germinate and produce flowers or trees as stated. If they can solve for that in a significant and meaningful way - the product has a chance.
John Orjias 5 years ago
Ok sorry, the biodegrable cup idea of course is very good, but the seed part not so much. You will end up with trees growing where people do not want them and them getting cut down anyway.
Brenda Wheat-Sinclair 5 years ago
Only thing I wonder about is will the heat from the hot beverage kill some of the seeds. Will it make coffee cost more because of the cup and process of making? Will it encourage more people to throw it out the car window cause the know it bio- degradable? The lid...is it still going to be made out of plastic? Just some questions.
Jack Cracker 5 years ago
I would like to see it in Florida one day soon, but can't grow California plants in Florida. What ever state you want to include you would want to include that state's flowers and/or fruits.
W M Rosoff 5 years ago
Wow, that's brilliant! Brilliant marketing that is. These businesses taking advantage of growing antipathy to single use by promoting *more* single use are taking chutzpah to truly impressive levels. "Biodegradable" plastic bags that don't biodegrade, "non-plastic" plastics made from hippie-sounding plant materials, and now cups that tell people they're saving the planet by littering. Very clever marketing, but to think there's any net benefit to the planet is ridiculous. There are places in the world where it makes sense to plant trees from seed, and there are places where people walk around drinking $6 lattes from disposable cups, but these places are *nowhere* near each-other. And until you see tribesman in Borneo popping into Starbucks to spend a days wage on a nice frothy cappuccino, or until the SF Parks Department issues a press release requesting people to please indiscriminately plant tree seeds in the city's green spaces that will continue to be the case.
Leandra Perdue-Travasos 5 years ago
Awesome. will there be trees in out landfills now or do we plant these? Either way it’s a great idea and glad someone thought of this
Louise Vance 5 years ago
And the lids? If they are plastic, they are going straight into the oceans or landfill 91% of the time. Only 9% of single-use plastic is ever recycled. My concern is that your product is perpetuating and even encouraging our disposable lifestyle. The lids!!
Carol Butts 5 years ago
https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acs.org%2Fcontent%2Facs%2Fen%2Fpressroom%2Fpresspacs%2F2019%2Facs-presspac-may-29-2019%2Fcompostable-food-containers-could-release-pfas-into-environment.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR162nucElXcT0cBcIS_TjWX0afxafcqWlpVv0SCYtsf1vvxRFt3v6KNj_4&h=AT3XZXm4hpiZwujG-mdqQwKy4_XCdHhdReVa3IBokizgh6nlygbIU-WvxlkE1qA2DwfvmbGZMAFn_Ix9uVjImQeaVNufHY5vmmmayx19hf-OzCgtrWRmt6m0Wd6A4tlgTtlod3ut__JLbF-1wlyLHewU2g
Justine Lobb 5 years ago
We just love this!! Can you tell us how long the cup takes to biodegrade?
Mark Sampson 5 years ago
Most of them are going to end up in the garbage anyway. Seems like a lot of trouble for very little benefit.
Kathie Jones 5 years ago
That is cool...but I would like to see diversity of the seed. Trees don't always work in all locations the cups may end up, but flowers do. Something like Sunflowers, Milk Weed, Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, etc. would be amazing!
Daniel Maissan 5 years ago
I do love the idea. My only real question is about the (by the looks of it) black, plastic lit used in the video... In the drawings I see a lit as well... What is going to be the solution for tat?
Dave Hoskinson 8 years ago
I also think this is a great idea, now for the but. How many people do you think will take the time to plant these? How would these cups react in the trash? Do you think maybe they could work in our land fills because I have a feeling that is where most of them will end up. If they could bloom there then Dam this would be an even better idea.
Mark Sampson 5 years ago
I agree. National Geographic took core samples from a 40-year-old landfill a few decades ago. The most telling photo was of a whole t-bone steak which had not decomposed in 40 years. There won't be the water or nutrients that a seed/seedling needs in a landfill. They will just be garbage, like every other coffee cup, except with seeds.
Load More Replies... RobynSleeper 8 years ago
I'm sure there are good qualities to this idea, but there are some others that may not work so well. I often pick up trash, on beaches, along roads in my neighborhood, and many such cups end up in ditches along the roadside. This would be a bad place for trees to sprout up in, as ditches are meant to shed water. Something to think about. If people took their cups and planted them, then that might be good, but really many people don't want their yard full of trees, and most do not have an extra lot that they want to plant trees in, and if they did, they probably would do it with seedlings of preferred trees rather than planting used coffee cups. Biodegradable is great, but I'm thinking the seeds aren't so great. And would these cups be shipped to areas where the seeds would then be an introduced and possibly invasive species to that area, vs indigenous ones? And how could you really control that at all?
LetitiaKemister 9 years ago
love it to peices, as long as they are careful to propogate local species.
DonnaDeMasi 9 years ago
The Best Idea. You would have to make sure you only have indigenous plants for each each region world wide. Would cost a lot to set up.
DianeTenHoopen 9 years ago
Is there any info posted about the cup liners? I'm curious to know about the plastics and chemicals used in that portion of the cup.
LynnBroaddus 9 years ago
Since you asked ... gimmick. At best, cups will be composted with intentional effort to reduce seed sprouting / weeds. More likely, landfill
ChristelPlatt 9 years ago
Northface has a tag on their shirts I saw made the same way with seeds!
JanaMcCormick 9 years ago
The links to support this great idea are above the video clip. I'm going!
JanaMcCormick 9 years ago
It would be great if bored panda actually had a link here to the company's kickstarter page or to the company itself.
SerenaZabriskie 9 years ago
Love the idea, more beauty for Mother Nature, need t be a global cooperation to succeed everywhere.
HelenEldridge 9 years ago
Yes its a good idea, but what about more coffee shops going back to the old-fashioned crockery cups and saucers? Why disposable at all?
MackieSang 9 years ago
Interesting concept. We have long been a throw away society, and using that habit for environment advantage would be ideal.
LarrySummers 9 years ago
I think this is a great idea, especially if the seeds are hemp seeds.
DorothyHoffman 9 years ago
Love the theory, but practicality is limited. Cups need to be planted not "thrown away" to have any chance of growing. Geog. variations, too
DavidNewton 9 years ago
Great Idea! I do wonder about people in cold climates during the winter. The ground is frozen. There is no planting. Growth in a landfill?
GlynisLailann 9 years ago
We have just suffered a devastating fire on Table Mountain here in Cape Town. These cups would have been ideal.
MarkConnelly 9 years ago
That is a great idea. I thought I was the only one interested in tree seeds. www.mypodshots.com.
JeaninePerez-Mengel 9 years ago
Fantastic idea. Maybe use them for burn areas too. Love the ca poppies.
CherrillGavin 9 years ago
THe very best fun idea I have heard of.I hope it comes to Australia.
SusanShendaruk 9 years ago
Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! Get Tim Horton's on board in Canada.
CatherineHaran-lomino 9 years ago
This is a great idea! Please send this McDonald's and fun in donuts! At least Starbucks recycles, the others don't.
ToriBarker 9 years ago
This would be cool if it were available to big companies as well as small business coffee shops.
BaNuBaNuBa 9 years ago
It's an amazing idea to embed it in coffee cups. In Turkey, a company makes invitation cards with the same idea..
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