Hello, I’m a cup. Yes, a coffee cup. Don’t scroll away—believe it or not, I’ve seen more of student life than most humans on campus.

Entry 1: The Disposable Life

My first life was short and bitter—like the espresso I carried. Born in a factory, stacked in a café, filled, sipped, and dumped. Twenty minutes, that’s all. I didn’t even make it to the lecture. I was abandoned on a library desk, lipstick smudge still fresh.

There are billions like me. We live fast, die young, and pile up in bins. The UK alone throws away 2.5 billion disposable cups every year, most unrecycled ((Doward, 2020). A throwaway generation—literally.

Entry 2: Reincarnation

But then—plot twist—I came back. This time, I wasn’t flimsy paper. I was brewed from yesterday’s latte grounds, pressed into a sturdy, earthy-textured cup. Coffee reincarnated as a cup for more coffee. The circle of life, caffeinated edition.

And I’m not alone. I’ve now got a whole family of sustainable siblings:

• One of my cousins is the Kreis Cup, made from recycled coffee grounds and plant-based materials. It’s heat-resistant, durable, and even biodegradable when its journey ends. 👉 coffeekreis.com
• Another is the playful HOLOHOLO foldable macaron cup—squash it flat into a pocket, pop it open when you’re thirsty. 👉 tokopedia.com/holoholo
• There’s also an innovative design from Samore Design in Shenzhen, with an accordion-like structure that cleverly keeps your hands from burning. 👉 core77.com
• And my tech-savvy relative is Ecobuzz, which runs on a circular reuse system: cups are washed, reused, then recycled into new ones once they wear out. 👉 ecobuzzuk.com

We may look different—coffee grounds, bamboo, silicone, even ocean plastic—but we all share one mission: to escape the 20-minute life.

Entry 3: Campus Fame

Students notice me.

“Cool cup, where’d you get it?” they ask my human.

Suddenly, I’m not just holding caffeine—I’m holding conversations.

Reusable cups aren’t just eco—they’re social currency. Some students decorate us with stickers. Others paint us, or add slogans (“Fuel for Deadlines” was a recent favourite). One guy customised his with duct tape art after it cracked. That’s commitment.

And with my new siblings around, campus life gets even more fun. Someone whips out a foldable HOLOHOLO like a magic trick in the library. Another shows off a Kreis Cup with its subtle coffee aroma. A third talks about Ecobuzz’s reuse scheme. Suddenly, cups aren’t just containers—they’re conversation starters.

Entry 4: How to Join the Cup Revolution

Here’s where you come in. If you’re thinking, okay, but how do I actually do this?—I’ve got you.

1. Choosing your cup:

• Love stories of renewal? → Try one made from recycled coffee grounds (like Kreis).
• Need pocket-friendly? → Foldables (such as HOLOHOLO) are your friend.
• Prefer design innovation? → Look for smart structures (like Samore’s heat-proof cup).
• Budget-conscious? → Even supermarkets have sturdy reusables.
• Like closed-loop systems? → Some schemes (like Ecobuzz) collect, wash, and reuse cups endlessly.

2. Making it yours:

Add stickers, doodles, slogans, or even society logos. Treat it like your laptop case—functional, but also identity.

3. Starting habits:

Pack it at night with your charger. Make it part of your ritual. Track savings (20–25p discounts add up to pizza money).

4. Going beyond yourself:

Start a cup club in your hall. Swap designs, share tips, host decorating nights. Suggest a campus deposit scheme. Or just smile and say hi to another reusable cup carrier. Instant friendship.

Entry 5: Why It Matters (More Than You Think)

Sure, I’m just a cup. But small actions create ripples. Students have always been trendsetters—whether it’s fashion, memes, or protests. Why not cups?

Disposable cups are invisible until you pile them together. Then you see the cathedral of waste. But every time you reuse me, that mountain shrinks. And every time someone asks about me, a new story begins. Sustainability spreads like caffeine—fast, addictive, and surprisingly social.

Final Entry

So here’s my advice, student to student (or rather, cup to student):

Next time you reach for coffee, don’t choose the 20-minute life. Choose the comeback story. Find a cup you love, make it part of your routine, and let it travel with you through lectures, deadlines, and 3 a.m. study sessions.

And remember: I’m no longer alone. I’ve now got foldable cousins, biodegradable siblings, and even circular-economy twins—from HOLOHOLO to Kreis to Samore to Ecobuzz. Together, we’ve got your caffeine, your style, and your planet’s back. 😉💚

By Huiwen Wang, SGO Project Officer