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How do you have your (take-away) coffee, tea or hot chocolate (in the morning)? Do you have a reusable cup at work, or do you bring one with you when you visit a coffee shop? Or do you opt for the disposable cups your barista offers because you always forget to bring your reusable one, or because it’s not convenient (or your handbag is too small) to carry a cup around?
If the latter is you, we might have good news: Our article today examines the pros and cons of collapsible reusable cups, including the HUNU Cup. Barely larger than a powder case or wallet, they fit in any handbag or jacket pocket.
Barely larger than the palm of your hand, the HUNU Cup fits into any pocket | Image courtesy of We are HUNU
Why should you avoid single-use/disposable cups?
According to Sustainability Australia, Australians discard one billion single-use or disposable coffee cups annually. New Zealand is no stranger to the throwaway culture either. Alice Neville from The Spinoff puts the number at 295 million per year. And depending on which blog, news media or organisation you read, watch or listen to, Americans use at least 50 billion disposable coffee cups each year.
While disposable cups are designed to be used only once, a significant amount of energy is expended in their creation. The shipment of disposable cups adds to the emission of CO2 and other gases. Made from virgin paper also means thousands of trees are cut down to manufacture all these cups every year. What a waste…
Thankfully, the old Styrofoam cups have mainly been replaced (we only encountered them when travelling around the US). But paper disposable cups are not environmentally friendly either. Paper cups have a plastic liner (as paper cannot hold liquids) and cannot thus be recycled. Even compostable cups require suitable composting facilities (which don’t always exist in or near the places where they are sold).
Single-use cups (whether paper or otherwise) are clogging up our landfills, waterways and oceans. We need to stop the practice of using disposable cups, just as we refuse plastic grocery bags, plastic straws, or disposable take-away containers. Period.
Single-use cups are clogging up our landfills, waterways and oceans
A better solution? Take a break and enjoy your hot drink at the coffee shop, sitting down and sipping from a cup that’s been washed after use, ready for the next customer. Or if you’re really short on time, bring your own (reusable) cup – whether porcelain, stainless steel, silicone or otherwise. And if they’re just too clunky, heavy or fragile to carry around, why not try a HUNU Cup?
What is a HUNU Cup?
A HUNU Cup is a collapsible, reusable cup. These days, many things are collapsible to reduce the space they take up when stored: think of collapsible Tupperware containers, collapsible measuring cups, or the collapsible tub you may use on camping trips. Well, the same principle applies to a reusable cup. When collapsed, the HUNU Cup is only 2 centimetres /0.75 inches high.
The cup comes in one size only: 265 millilitres or 9 fluid ounces – perfectly fine when you order a Short (8 fluid ounces) at a Starbucks (not that we support that), but too small if you were after a Tall (12 fluid ounces) or larger.
Small to store: when collapsed, the HUNU Cup is only 2 centimetres high and about 9.5 centimetres in diameter
Current colour options are charcoal, sage green, warm grey and pastel pink. The different colours make it easy to identify which cup is whose if several members of your household use a HUNU Cup.
The HUNU Cup was designed in London and is manufactured in China. Vince Dickson and Megan Williams from Islington, England, started We Are HUNU in order to create beautiful yet functional products that help tackle single-use plastic waste.
Megan Williams and Vince Dickson, the creators of the HUNU Cup | Image courtesy of We Are HUNU
What is the HUNU Cup made of?
The complete product consists of four distinct parts: the cup, a lid, an insulating strap, and a drinking hole plug (which doubles as a logo).
Made from food-grade silicone, the cup is free from petroleum. It is highly resistant to damage and degradation from extreme temperatures. It won’t harden, crack, peel, crumble, dry out, rot or become brittle over time. And being made of food-grade silicone, the HUNU Cups are non-toxic and BPA-free.
The lid is produced from bamboo fibre and resin. Used to wrap the cup north to south when collapsed, the strap doubles as an insulating band going east to west when you have a hot drink. The material of the insulating strap and the logo/drinking hole plug is not specified.
The HUNU Cup comprises four distinct parts: the cup, a lid, an insulating strap and a drinking hole plug (which doubles as a logo)
How sustainable is the HUNU Cup?
The HUNU Cup is made from an abundant natural resource – silicon, which is, in effect, sand or quartz. However, silicone is a synthetic polymer made from petroleum or natural gas.
Food-grade silicone has exceptional properties that ensure the product lasts a long time. As such, silicone is more environmentally friendly than plastic due to its longevity and its lower chance of leaching chemicals into food.
When the cup is no longer fit for purpose, it can be repurposed and even recycled (not easily though). Don’t try to put it into your curbside recycling, however. ECO USA is the only silicone recycling plant in the USA, and they currently don’t recycle post-consumer silicone. We couldn’t find any silicone recycling facilities in New Zealand or Australia.
If you buy one, look after your HUNU Cup to ensure it has a long lifespan. And do your best to re-purpose it once you can no longer use it.
Make sure you look after your HUNU Cup and re-purpose it once you can no longer use it | Image courtesy of Julietta Watson on Unsplash
Our experience with the HUNU Cup
A well-thought through reusable cup in size and functionality, the company's lack of transparency was a bit of let-down for us
HUNU Cup FAQs
Is the HUNU Cup microwave- and dishwasher-safe?
Both the cup and lid are dishwasher-safe. The cup (without the lid and insulation band) is also microwave-safe.
What material standards does the HUNU Cup comply with?
According to We Are HUNU, the cup is both FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and LFBG (short for Lebensmittel- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch or Food and Feed Act) certified, meaning it meets the highest global standards for food safety.
LFGB is often considered the European equivalent of the FDA; however, this is not entirely accurate. The LFGB is the German implementation of European law, as administered by the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR). The BfR recommendations for food-contact materials are some of the most comprehensive in the EU. Pricing-wise, products certified to LFGB standards are more expensive (as testing is more extensive and strict) than those that are FDA approved. FDA certification is, therefore, more widely used.
We Are HUNU were unable to provide documentary proof of the certification when requested, so we have to take their word that the product is certified.
The HUNU Cup is easy to keep clean with just hot soapy water
How do you clean the HUNU Cup?
If you are at a café, just wipe the insides with a napkin (or if you happen to go to the bathroom simply rinse it out with water). When you return home, wash it with hot soapy water. If you use a dishwasher remove the insulating band first.
Where can I buy a HUNU Cup?
The HUNU Cup can be purchased from the We Are HUNU website or selected online retailers and physical stores around the world. Be aware that the cup is manufactured in China and then shipped to warehouses in the United States of America and England before it is forwarded to consumers.
Do you use a reusable cup to get takeaway hot drinks? If not, why not?
I wrote this Hunu Cups review based on our own experience. If you have specifically used the Hunu Cup as well and you have something to add, please feel free to contact me. If you found my Reusable Cups tips helpful, I would appreciate it if you could share them with your friends and family using the Share buttons below. Even better, link to the page from your personal blog or social media platforms.
Full Disclosure: We received two HUNU Cups from HUNU for review, free of charge. As Ethical Influencers, all opinions are our own.
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