Looking for a sustainable vessel to drink your morning coffee out of and unclear on which is better, a cardboard cup or a ceramic mug? Actually, there’s a third option: one made out of a gourd.
Such a cup, in addition to making for great conversation when you have guests over, has the benefit of being 100% biodegradable, uses only sun and water in its manufacturing, and looks pretty darn cool in a cabinet. The concept is the brainchild of designer Jun Aizaki, whose Brooklyn-Based design company Créme is spearheading The Gourd Project.
Also the mind behind Silicon Valley’s Treehouse Hotel, Aizaki began thinking about The Gourd Project after feeling frustrated by how “stagnant” the conversation around single-use waste had become, he told Nice News.
“I couldn’t ignore how much plastic was being thrown away every day — it pushed me to look for alternatives that felt both natural and thoughtful,” said Aizaki. “I became fascinated with gourds — plants that have been used for centuries around the world as containers. Their rapid growth and natural durability made them incredibly compelling.”
Aizaki also took inspiration from the Japanese technique of shaping fruits (think: square watermelons), calling it “a reminder that we can guide nature into forms that are both useful and beautiful.”
Early on in the project, Aizaki and his team identified gourds as ideal produce for their purpose. Per the company website, “Gourds are fast-growing plants that bear robust fruit each season. Once dried, the gourds’ strong outer skin and fibrous inner flesh becomes watertight.”
Créme is bringing the ancient practice into the present by 3D printing customizable molds that can be used to form the gourds into shapes. The Gourd Project began by growing a few gourds in a backyard before the team moved production to a farm. The plan, however, is to eventually grow the gourds indoors to eliminate pests and control for variables in weather.
The vessels can be reused about three to six times, the website says, and can then be composted with other food waste.
Currently, the entire production cycle takes about six weeks, a process the company is looking for ways to streamline. Its first two vessels, The Gourd Cup and The Gourd Flask, will be launched in the consumer market soon.
RELATED: From Reusable Paper Towels to a Kitchen Composter: 11 Essential Products to Help Protect the Planet
Share to:
