When KeepCup first launched in 2009 with the mission to eradicate single-use cups,β―the only alternatives were ceramic mugs and bulky thermoses.β―The poorβ―usability and aestheticsβ―of these productsβ―wereβ―barriers for customers and cafes to adoptβ―reusable cups for espresso coffee.
With our bright, bold designs and experience in busy cafΓ© service environments, we crafted a product for both the coffee machine and the coffee drinker β and with it, we launched a new category of reusable that continues to inspire millions of people around the world to discover and deepen their commitment to reuse.
The world's first barista standard reusable cup
Barista standard is a shortcut to describe the design considerations that have gone into creating a product that works for users and baristas.
KeepCupβ―is widely accepted and endorsed byβ―the specialty coffee industry because our design carefullyβ―considers busy cafΓ© environments and reflects disposable cupβ―volumes. Whether youβre an espresso,β―latteβ―or long blackβ―drinker, there is aβ―KeepCupβ―size to match.
Fits under group heads
Allβ―KeepCups, except our largest 16oz|454mlβ―size,β―fit underβ―coffeeβ―machine groupβ―heads. Thisβ―means business asβ―usual for baristas,β―no need to transfer the coffee from one cup to another, keeping theβ―extractionβ―and crema intact.β―β―
Press fit lid
Ourβ―firm lids are easyβ―toβ―press on - designed forβ―busy serviceβ―environmentsβ―andβ―drinking pleasureβ―on the go.β―β―
Industry standard volumes
Internal volumes replicate single-use cups so baristas know which size to serve and the correct coffee-to-milk ratio.
For the perfect pour
A drafted vessel, for easy pourβ―and the crafting ofβ―perfectβ―hearts andβ―rosettas.β―β―
Lovely to drink from
A tapered rimβ―soβ―drinks can be enjoyed with theβ―lidβ―on orβ―off.
Modular replacement partsΒ Β
We try to utilise as many common parts as possible across our products, allowing you to swap different lids and cups across the range. This reduces tooling, wastage, and production oversupply and provides a more seamless experience for customers.
Available online, replacement parts support the right to repair, reduce collective impact and improve the longevity of our products.
If youβve lost or broken a KeepCup part we encourage you to purchase a replacement for just that component rather than an entirely new KeepCup.
Design that is original
While the term βKeepCupβ is often used as a catchall for every reusable cup brand, our products are the first barista standard reusable cup, and the original product enjoys patent, design and trademark protection.
To make sure you have bought the genuine article, read about ourΒ product authenticity.
Food safety and hygiene
Health and safety is ourβ―first priority.β― Allβ―KeepCupsβ―are free from BPA, BPS,β―phthalates including DEHP, lead and cadmiumβ―as well asβ―anyβ―substances of very high concern (SVHC).β―
We conduct audits of all our manufacturers to test material compliance with global food safety standards.β―We also take random production batch samples of parts and independently lab test them against differing food safety standards set worldwide.
Materials
KeepCupΒ materials are carefully considered at all stages of the manufacturing process andΒ lifestage of the component.Β We choose the best material thatβsΒ fitΒ for purposeΒ and minimises impact with ongoing reuse and end-of-life solutions in mind.
ManufacturingΒ andΒ Assembly
We work to createβ―a responsible supply chain and drive positive social and environmental impact upstream and down.β― Close, transparent and long-term supplier relationships are at the heart of how we do business, and our core suppliers have been with us from the beginning.
Local manufacturing
This is a strong building block; it means we invest in the community in which we operate, we reduce the environmental cost of logisticsβ―andβ―in our experience,β―we build better original products, combining user experience, industrial design, tool engineering and production skills.β―β―Local manufacture is key to moving to a circular economy, ensuring local capacity, markets and know-how exist to reprocess materials at end of life.β―
When we started our business, we were a local solution to a local problem, so we manufactured our KeepCup Original range, made from plastic, in Australia. This continues today for all plastic cups, lids and plugs.
In 2016 we beganβ―localβ―production of those items in the UK to reduce our transport footprint for the UK and European markets, and because local capacity and volumes supportedβ―transition.β―The savings are not financial; they areβ―environmental.
Sustainable sourcing for international manufactureβ―
KeepCup components that are not manufactured in one of our local hub countries arethose that cannot be sourced there.
Our silicone bands are manufactured in China, because that is the only place in the world that low grade silicone is manufactured. We were the very first customer of our silicone band manufacturer, and have had the joy of seeing their business grow and flourish alongside ours. Our cork bands come from the ancient cork oak forests of Portugal, upcycled from the off cuts of local cork manufacture. Again, we work with another small family business to deliver a great and unique product.
Blow-molded tempered glass tumblers and double-walled, vacuum sealed stainless steel cups are made by only a handful of manufacturers around the world. Ours are made in China.
Product stewardship for manufacturers will be increasingly important as we demand companies take into consideration the downstream consequences of manufacture, as well as supply inputs. Life cycle, use of materials, recyclability and reduction of unnecessary parts and products must be at the forefront of our thinking as we reconsider burning waste to energy as an effective strategy for finite resources.
For all international sourcing, we ensure strict adherence to our supplier code of conduct, and preference sea freight over air freight to minimise our impact.
Local assembly
Allβ―KeepCup productsβ―are hand-assembledβ―by our warehouseβ―teams inβ―the UK andβ―Australia.β―Duringβ―busy periodsβ―in Australiaβ―assembly is also done byβ―Nadrasca,β―aβ―localβ―not for profitβ―providingβ―employmentβ―and job trainingβ―for people with disabilities.β―
Weβ―pay livingβ―wages andβ―are certifiedβ―for doing so in the UK.β―We are working with our producers to validate payment of living wages across the production chain.β―β―β―Both our locations have retail areasβ―where our customersβ―are welcome toβ―come inβ―andβ―design their ownβ―KeepCup, pick up orders andβ―meet the people who hand assemble our products.β―β―
Having the whole team working in one office β sales, marketing, operations, warehouse and assembly builds respect for the process and the product. We believe it encourages a more thoughtful approach to how supply chains work, and a more equitable approach to relationships.
Kerry is our silicone band maker and printer. We first reached out to her when KeepCup was launching, and years later we learned that KeepCup was her business' very first international customer. We've now been working and growing together for over ten years.
Kerryβsβ―story:β―
I grew up inβ―Chonqing, a city in southwestern China and meeting place of theβ―Yangtze and Jialing rivers. Iβve always loved colour and painted in oils since I was young.β―β―
I knew that one day I wanted to have my own businessβ―and work with international customers.β―This became a reality inβ―2008β―when, after studying Internationalβ―Business and Trade, as well as English,β―I started my business, makingβ―jewellery which includedβ―brightly coloured silicone wrist bands.β―β―
Abi,β―KeepCupβsβ―Co-Founder, found me on Global Source. She emailed wanting to buy bandsβ―andβ―sent me a drawing. It was new product for me, soβ―we made the mould andβ―createdβ―samples in lots ofβ―colours.β―
From the outsetβ―Iβ―felt that Abiβ―was very different to most customers weβd hadβ―previously. She wasβ―very honest to work with.β―For the first order, which was small compared to now,β―I askedβ―herβ―to payβ―aβ―30% deposit to buy material but she paid in full so I could buyβ―itβ―atβ―aβ―better price and invest in making theβ―KeepCupβ―bands.β―β―
My business is like an extended family.β―Kenny, my husband and business partner, isβ―a great thinker and problem solver. Heβ―works closely with engineers, mould makers and our printers to problem solve any tooling and print design issues.β―My friend Lotus, we went to kindergarten together, works for us and managesβ―KeepCupβ―orders and artwork.β―Gnβ―is our master printer and has been with us from the start. We now have families and have grown together in life and work.β―β―
We love to be challenged by differentβ―KeepCupβ―custom band designs. Our wholeβ―teamβ―treat them as a puzzle that we work togetherβ―to solve.β―Theβ―KeepCupβ―Star Wars bands wereβ―really complex. Working to the integrity of character designs as best we could, taking into accountβ―mouldingβ―and manufacture constraints, embossing and printing challenges, but we were so proud of the outcome and loved seeing the final products and our contribution in helping to create them.β―
I use myβ―KeepCupβ―everyday drinking tea in the officeβ―and itβsβ―always very special to see our bands onβ―KeepCupsβ―being used by others, at cafes and on retail shelvesβ―in China andβ―when Iβm travelling overseas.β―
As a woman in business sometimes I feel like Iβ―have toβ―be superwoman, jugglingβ―both family and business. But I look back and realise that, societally,β―things have changed aβ―lot in the decadeβ―Iβve been doing this. Women are increasingly valued and respected for their ideas and are no longer seenβ―asβ―dependent on men.β―β―
Iβ―love running my businessβ―and amβ―really proudβ―of our work quality. Working withβ―KeepCupβ―I get to create and print in so many different colours, it makes meβ―soβ―happy. I believe the world should always be colourful.β―
Kurt and Bill are the Australian makers of our KeepCup Original Cup bases, lids and plugs. Weβve been working with them from the beginning and itβs now more than ten years since the first KeepCup rolled out of their factory.Β
As well as making KeepCups they also design and make the machine tooling used in their factory. This part of a supply chain doesnβt often rate a mention but is an integral part of manufacture, especially when designing and making new products. Itβs worth sharing as Kurt and Bill still make many of these tools in Australia, in an era when most toolmaking is done offshore in countries with low labour costs. Local toolmaking allows us to quickly troubleshoot issues that arise during manufacture and enables higher quality output, with a low manufacturing reject rate.
Kurt and Bill's story:β―
Kurt
In 1982, my wife and I started our own tooling business from the garage of our Montrose home, she was the machinist and I the engineer. We did well, and within a year were employing six toolmakers and rented a factory. Today, it's still very much a family business. My wife ran it alongside me for 25 years and now my daughter and grandsons work with me. We have 30 employees, over half of whom have well passed their long service leave. One of the women in our team, Gabriele, has been here for 33 years and Bill, our Production Manager, has been with us for 27.
Bill
People here are very lucky to work for Kurt. He's got the mentality that heβs responsible for everyone, for their jobs and their mortgages. Iβve been making KeepCups since we created the first prototype in 2008.
Kurt
I still remember when Abigail first came out to see me. I remember sitting opposite her and saying, βwell itβs certainly eco-friendly. If you sell 300,000 itβs a good result.βΒ Later, she reminded me βKurt can you remember at the beginning when you said youβd be happy if you make 300,000? How many have you made now? Just over 1 million?βΒ Β
Bill
Our tooling is still made in-house, so itβs much easier for our toolmakers to make fixes and adjustments for new product improvements and to maintain quality standards. We use our knowledge and experience to create durable tooling, built for long term use day in day out, not to go like a racehorse. Weβve got a lot of history working together with KeepCup now. Weβve had time to perfect materials and tools we use for each KeepCup component and we build on this knowledge with each new part and product.
We use robots now in some areas of the factory. The robots have improved our process and resulted in fewer rejects, saving time and resources. They havenβt replaced peopleβs jobs, our team instead now have more time for quality control and inspecting parts.
Kurt
Working with KeepCup has helped us look at the sustainability of our own practices, from water, energy, to waste. Weβve always been very βgreen orientedβ but KeepCup has helped us go further. We use 200 β 300 tonnes of recycled material annually and have expanded our own in-house plastic recycling program to take back and recycle returned plastic products from KeepCup alongside our own factory scrap, which is either ground up and reused inhouse, or reprocessed into plastic pellets which we then mould into new products we make, and which donβt have to be food safe.
Bill
Weβve made numerous changes in the business for energy and water efficiency. Weβve replaced our injection moulders, moving from hydraulic to electric which cut our electricity use in half. We upgraded our water systems so water for all injection moulding machines and toilets now comes from harvested rainwater we collect on our roof. The only mains water we use now is for hand washing and in the kitchen. All lighting in the factory is LEDs and weβre currently exploring rooftop solar.
Working with KeepCup has been an amazing thing to be part of. The positive environmental impact is awesome. At the start youβd never have thought it was going to be this big. Now Iβve seen KeepCups everywhere, from the Northern Territory to Venice and London.
Kurt
The idea of KeepCup is absolutely brilliant. Once when I was going on holiday to Magnetic Island, a girl sat next to me on the plane and took a KeepCup out of her bag.Β Β I said, βhow do you like it? ". When I told her we made them here in Australia she was so happy to know. Itβs such a success story and one weβre very proud to be part of in a small way.
We have a really good relationship with KeepCup. When there's a problem we all work together to solve it. The target is always toΒ giveΒ the customer the best.
Our code of conduct
KeepCupβsβ―Supplier Code of Conductβ―underpins our contracts with suppliers.β―β―Β
The labour code is based on, and goes beyond, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code and the International Labour Organisationβs (ILO) Fundamental Principles and Rightsβ―Atβ―Work.β―β―Β
The environmental code embeds guiding principles from the UN Global Compact.β― The restricted substances list is based on European Union REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) legislation.β―Β
The Code of Conduct is updated regularly according to changes in regulation and industryΒ standard. Suppliers annually re-sign their commitment to the Code.β―Β
Key requirements of the code:β―
- Employment is freely chosenβ―
- Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respectedβ―
- Working conditions are safe and hygienicβ―
- Child labourβ―will not beβ―usedβ―
- Living wages are paidβ―
- Working hoursβ―are not excessiveβ―
- Discriminationβ―is notβ―practicedβ―
- Pregnant and breastfeedingβ―employees are supportedβ―
- Regular employmentβ―is providedβ―
- There will be noβ―harsh or inhumane treatmentβ―β―
- Corruptionβ―andβ―briberyβ―will not beβ―practicedβ―
- Environmental stewardship is practiced, and aβ―precautionary approachβ―is takenβ―β―
- Chemicals are responsibly managedβ―β―
- No animal products will be usedβ―
- There will be no animal testingβ―
- There will be noβ―subcontractingβ―without prior consent and no subcontractingβ―of manufactured productβ―β―
- Suppliers will be audited at least every 2 yearsβ―