Earth Brands’ Earth Cup: Biodegradable Disposable Cups
Earth Brands, founded by two sophomores at Williams College, aims to replace disposable plastic cups on college campuses—and beyond.
Disposable plastic cups often accompany college parties, where many become litter. While walking through their college campus, Misha Vitels and Peter Frelinghuysen noticed this pollution. “It was just an eyesore,” said Misha in an interview with Plastics Engineering.
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Thus, the idea of Earth Brands took root. Misha cited this litter as the original spark that led to Earth Brands—and the company’s biodegradable Earth Cup. Earth Brands, founded in 2020, has sold over 100 million units.
Replacing the Red Cup
Limited recycling education leads to many consumers throwing away plastic packaging, like drink containers, rather than recycling. Additionally, many consumers do not know which plastics are recyclable. By creating a biodegradable alternative, Earth Brands aimed to circumvent this problem. The founders wanted to make the company a “trusted sustainability manufacturer and partner in the food service industry.” That way, consumers and businesses can be confident they are making a sustainable choice for disposable cups.
Though the company started on a college campus, it has expanded to a wide array of industries. Now, breweries, bars, stadiums, festivals, hotels, airlines, and more are serving drinks in Earth Cups. Earth Brands has also expanded its product portfolio with additional compostable food packaging.
Earth Cups are now the official cup of the Barclays Center, bringing sustainability to the arena. Photo courtesy of Earth Brands.
Closing the Loop for Plastic Cups
As the company grows, Earth Brands focuses on supporting a circular economy and diverting cups from landfills. They host Closed Loop Programs for large events to support this mission at the company’s current scale. Earth Brands sells the cups for the event, then collects them back in branded bins. Then, the Earth Brands team separates them from any other waste and brings them to a compositing facility. Princeton University’s Reunions remain one of the largest Closed Loop Program events. During 2024’s reunion, Earth Brands collected 120,000 Earth Cups to compost—with a cup collection rate of over 70%.
After the 2024 Princeton University Reunion, Misha and Peter spent eight hours counting Earth Cups at the composting facility. Photo courtesy of Earth Brands.
After three months, Misha and Peter revisited the composting facility to find that the reunion’s cups were already gone.
Looking Towards the Future
When asked about the company’s future plans, Misha highlighted his ambition to lead the global transition to sustainable products. He wants Earth Brands’ products to continue to become more accessible, more sustainable, and cooler. That way, less plastic will end up in the landfill. Additionally, consumers and businesses will be empowered to make more sustainable choices. As they continue to grow, Earth Brands is focusing on vertical integration, marketing, and the needs of their customers.