Flatterware Collapsable Cups
By Karina | October 24, 2007
I attended the 7th Annual Cooper Union Art Auction and Casino Night this weekend, and was excited to win the auction for two collapsible cups. I have been thinking about collapsible cups for the Longest Time! so when I say excited, I mean Totally Excited. I’ve been trying to carry around a smaller handbag and while my spork and cloth napkin (or hanky) fit into a small purse, I end up bringing along a second tote bag to carry around my sigg bottle or travel mug. So naturally I’ve been thinking of ways to ditch the second tote bag, yet still be able to get a nice cool drink of water when I need one. Enter collapsible cups.
Flatterware Collapsible Cups are designed by fellow Cooper Alumni Theo Stewart-Strand, and are the coolest collapsible cups I’ve ever seen. When you pop them open the cup springs into shape - and it isn’t like one of the old fashioned telescoping style cups, either… it’s of solid body construction. which means no leaking! It’s very small, and can fit into your pocket or small handbag. And they just plain look NEAT. There is a very cool video accessible from the product webpage. [[Note: look forward to an interview with Theo Stewart-Strand soon!]]
Plus, the cups have the added benefit of reducing the amount of waste you generate through-out the day. Since winning the auction I’ve been brainstorming for occasions when I would need to have a collapsible cup. Like: I should keep one in my car! or maybe in my laptop bag, for when I travel to other offices. They’d be perfect for picnics! even the kind with wine and cheese!
There is only one small shadow on my enthusiasm: These cups are made of ABS Plastic (they have a #7 recycle marker which stands for “other plastic” and which also includes lexan [which we’ve discussed in depth before], but is really a catch-all category). And you all know that I do try very hard to reduce the amount of plastic in my life! luckily, though, I am not on a “no plastic” diet because I LOVE these cups, and I’m AM glad that I own them.
So, being the good (read: overly-researched) engineer that I am, I checked out ABS plastic (or Acrolonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) on the internet. It seems to be a relatively tough plastic that is used for things like car bumpers and legos. It is relatively stable and there haven’t been any studies indicating that there are harmful leachates or otherwise. (A couple of plastic-watchdog-pages are here and here, and both of them don’t say anything bad about ABS plastic.) But these plastics are still made from petroleum, and the additives used to create material strength in the plastic are relatively toxic. However, for the design of the cup I really can’t think of another material that would substitute. The cup itself is structural, and must be flexible enough to fold up.
I guess these cups bring to light another Tiny Choice that we all have to face often - when you see something really freakin’ cool, and/or something that addresses a need you have, do you buy it? Gadgets fall squarely into a category that often can be labeled “stuff you don’t really need, but want badly, but usually are made of toxic substances, but hopefully won’t hurt you personally.” It’s hard to deprive yourself of the many awesome and cool things out there, and if you break it down, most things for sale today in the western world have got some toxic materials somewhere in their construction. So it brings up the question, but from another angle: where do you draw the line?
Do you have any innovative drinking solutions? where do you draw the line with YOUR gadgets?
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Finally! Someone who could understand my joy in finding two of the old-school collapsible cups at a garage sale this summer!
I can’t speak much to the line drawing because we do live a pretty gadget-filled life over here. We try to make them last as much as possible but that’s honestly not very long any more — we got our first ipods four years ago, for example, and mine was a complete brick while he had replaced the battery in his at least once when we got new ones this year. (NB: we use them almost every day.)
I love the collapsible cups!
I guess the gadget that I question the most right now is the iphone. I definately don’t need it, and it’s not the best thing for the environment, but it is SO AWESOME. but I have a cell phone! that works perfectly fine thank you! I think I’ll wait it out until mine breaks, and then splurge.
This is where being cheap comes in handy, haha. Oh, I want an iphone soooo badly, but I’m not going to pay that price. Plus I don’t buy first-gen Apple anything, much as I am a mac fangirl, because I know that within three months the price will go down and the specs will get better.
that’s exactly what I keep telling myself too! just wait, because the technology will be WAY better.
I have a fold-a-cup that I use camping… I had never thought of taking it with me for other uses, but it would totally work!
Here’s a link to the product, but note that I do not endorse the seller… I bought mine in Norway…
http://www.magellans.com/store/Picnic_Gear___Glasses___CupsFP589?Args=
that’s a cool cup too! another innovative design.
Love it! I totally want a collapsible cup. Last night we went out for dinner to a veggie cheesesteak place. I forgot my spork, so I had to use a disposable one, and I didn’t have a water bottle, so I had to use a disposable cup. It was awful!
I do get confused when being ecological just seems like another consumerist path.
Okay, I’ve looked all over - where can you buy these cups??
http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=11775
I talked to Theo (the designer) last night and will have an interview up soon with lots more info, but here is one of the places to get them!
Awesome! thanks! I totally want to buy it right now, but I’m going to try to wait and ask for it for Christmas.
This is SUPERcool. Perfect for those times when you really don’t want to schlep a bottle around! I’m wondering though– do you think the plastic will eventually wear thin on the folding lines?
It reminds me of the Orikaso folding mug/plate for camping, which I’ve been admiring for awhile now but also avoiding cause it’s made of Polypropylene… the company says this: “Products and packaging are made from recyclable materials and any off cuts from production gets recycled on site. Polypropylene is endorsed by Greenpeace as an alternative to PVC, and if you burn polypropylene the only substances given off are carbon dioxide and water (rather than nasty o-zone destroying, greenhouse-effect inducing filth). ” What do you think??
Interesting to read. I am developing a promotional campaign for instant soup.
Might be these ABS collapsable cups can be obtained printed, to be filled in our plant and distributed as hand outs on fairs etc., for people to fill it up with hot water to get an immediate cup of soup. Problem might be the powder form of the soup that might get in between the various “rings” of the cup when opening?
Any comment, please and where to find manufacturers of the cups?
you can contact the designer (theo) through his webpage: http://www.stewartstand.com/contact.html - The interview with him will go up on monday!
I think that the soup idea is brilliant, and I do think it would work very well.
the link doesn’t work, but it’s just because of the period. click link, delete periods and viola!
thanks! I fixed the link.
Joost,
Please let us know if we can be of assistance in any way for your instant soup campaign.
The cups can be imprinted on both the lid and the base. Instant soup is a great application for the product.
There will not be an issue with the powder getting stuck in the cup as the cup ‘body’ is a single molded piece.
We are based in Brooklyn, NY and can be contacted at (718) 407 4197 or via e-mail (info@flatterware.com).
Best,
Paul
Plus, it holds 12 whole ounces, rather than the sip that the kind we had as kids held. 12 ounces. It’s freezer and microwave and dishwasher safe.
Would this be safe for hot liquids? I hate carrying my travel mug along - it’s so big and bulky. And I loooooooooooooove coffeeshops…
the packaging says yes! plus you can put it in the dishwasher and the microwave.
[…] Flatterware Collapsable Cups […]
I am wondering if any of you know of a product that will act like a collapsible cup except easier to fit into pockets. In Taiwan, we have these paper cups that are simply a piece of paper folded into a “pocket” similar to an open envelop. Then you simply squeeze the sides to fill the middle part with water. If they make it out of say ABS plastic, you can have a cup that folds flat and easy to use. However, you won’t be able to set the cup down, but since I work in the hospital, it would be perfect. You won’t believe how many Styrofoam cups people use in one day here in America.
steveou@iit.edu
i love it…should be made for coffee too.
where can i buy one in Vancouver?
Thanks, Lou xx
hi loulou,
you can use it for hot or cold liquids, and check the other comments for different sources!