Taking a big bite out of disposable waste

Good-Edi makes a range of edible waffle coffee cups that are 100 per cent plastic-free and vegan.

Australians’ coffee habit has been costing our environment dearly. In 2020, it was estimated that as many as 1 billion disposable coffee cups were ending up in landfill every year. This horrifying statistic prompted Catherine Hutchins and Aniyo Rahebi to create Good-Edi, a range of edible coffee cups designed to provide people with sustainable options for their morning brew.

With a real urge to make actionable change, the entrepreneurs set out to create a product that would shift the needle for good.

The Good-Edi co-founders used market research to gather some valuable insights that helped them understand the drivers behind such a large volume of wastage.

“Everybody loves coffee in Australia but the awareness around the problem is not there,” Rahebi says. “They think disposable cups are recyclable. They don’t really think they’re creating such a big amount of waste.”

Another hurdle for coffee drinkers is the convenience issue with reusable coffee cups.

The feedback the pair received from punters gave them the confidence to push forward with their idea. After realising there was a gap in the market for an eco-friendly alternative, they got to work on developing a prototype that would not only taste great but also structurally hold coffee.

“We did over 100 different recipe trials that resulted in many many leaking cups,” Hutchins says. “After a few days of those trials we got to a waffle cup that could hold our coffee for five hours. And we thought, ‘Right, we’ve got it. We can definitely do this.’ One of our big focuses was to make sure it didn’t impact the flavour of the coffee and in fact made the coffee experience better.’’

The finished product was a 100 per cent plastic-free, vegan waffle coffee cup made from high-quality natural ingredients including a bran blend (rye, wheat, oat), sugar, coconut oil and salt, all free from artificial preservatives.

Once they landed on the final recipe they realised this small but mighty cup was versatile enough to also hold gelato, smoothies and a host of other beverages.

Since launching in 2021, Good-Edi has had an incredibly positive uptake with around 200,000 units sold and a number of highprofile partnerships entered into, including Bupa and Mirvac.

Not only have they gained an impressive traction among the corporate sector but their product is now a staple in some of the biggest hospitality venues in Australia, including Into Coffee and Puzzle Coffee.

Customers can also order directly from their website.

They now have their sights on growing the business and tackling other areas of the hospitality world that are in need of a sustainability shake-up. Both Hutchins and Rahebi are passionate about expanding their business into providing waste-free products for corporate events, activations, trade shows and festivals, all which have a reputation for churning out single-use items.

“We’ve started with going all-in on disposable cups [as] that’s where we can make a huge impact,” Hutchins says. “Then, we can start to look at bowls and plates. At events and festivals, single-use cutlery and plates is a huge issue still.”

While it might seem as if there is a long road ahead towards a net-zero future, companies like Good-Edi are paving the way for a more sustainable way of life. Next time you head out for a coffee think about switching it up to an edible cup – delicious for you and good for the planet.