the betacup was founded in May 2009 to reduce the number of non-recyclable cups that are thrown away every year by creating a more convenient alternative to the reusable coffee cup.

We decided that while we might have a few good ideas, lots of talented people drink coffee everyday and they might have thought about this problem too. So we came up with the betacup as a way to get a lot more of us working on the problem.

Betacup from the betacup on Vimeo.

Take a moment to check our the ‘Facts’ below to get an understanding of the seriousness of the paper cup issue.

Facts:
The amount of solid waste created and valuable resources consumed throughout the process of manufacturing and drinking coffee is an escalating problem:

• 58 billion paper cups are thrown away (not recycled) every year
• 20 million trees are cut down in the process of manufacturing paper cups
• Amount of water used in the process is approximately 12 billion gallons

According to the Environmental Defense Organization, we could power 53,000 homes with the energy we consume through our paper cup consumption.

Another alarming fact that we have discovered is the amount of water used in the process of creating one single cup of latte, which according to the World Wildlife Fund is more than 200 liters (52 Gallons).

Paper cups are just part of the problem.

The amount of waste resulting from consumer packaging every year is mind-boggling. If you’re reading this and you live in the North America, then you’re contributing to the 250 million tons of garbage thrown away every year.

Reducing the number of paper coffee cups consumed is our initial attempt and reducing this overall figure.

We have chosen the coffee cup not because it’s necessarily the biggest perpetrator, but because it’s a symbol of how consumerism has got completely out of control.

We can’t do this alone. We want you to help us figure out a better, smarter and more sustainable solution. Join the movement and become part of the betacup community and help us Drink Sustainably.