A Cup of Change – Corn-based Cups Build Eco-Awareness

A cup of change may not seem like a lot, but Jessica Arbour and three of her fellow students at Capilano College believe the reusable corn-based cups they sourced from Earth Imprints are going to add up to a big change in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The idea behind the project – reduce the enormous amount of waste generated by the use of paper cups at places like hotels and campuses. The way the students demonstrated just how many disposable cups their college uses in a year – a 15 by 8 foot “waterfall” art display visually demonstrating how the switch to reusable cups would reduce the amount of garbage headed to a landfill.

“The College loves the mugs,” says Arbour. “We’ve had a really positive response.”

The display attracted a huge audience at the college according to Arbour and opened more than a few eyes to both the amount of waste we generate and the simple alternatives that are available.

“People like to learn about these eco-friendly products,” says Jessica, adding, “They’re surprised to find out about the range of products that are available.”

The successful first run of the corn cups led to a $200 cash donation to Offsetters, a non-profit society dedicated to reducing CO2 emissions and another run of the reusable cups, to be distributed to a tourism educators conference in Whistler, B.C.

The Cup of Change team is now planning to expand their project into the hospitality industry. They believe the cups are an ideal match for hotels and resorts where guests can use the cups during their stay and perhaps even purchase them as an eco-friendly memento of their stay.