Did you know that eco-friendly cup as an alternative to plastic cups are very important to reduce plastic waste ? You can imagine, according to research quoted by the Earth Day website, nearly 500 billion plastic cups are used every year around the world.

Sadly, about 10 percent of plastic cup waste ends up in the ocean. It is estimated that there are 300 million plastic bags each year that float in the Atlantic Ocean.

In Indonesia alone, an average of one small coffee shop consumes 50-100 straws per day. Of course, this number will increase when more customers choose to order takeaway drinks.

Kaia, Environmentally Friendly Plastic Invention of 4 ITB Students

If from our daily activities, it is difficult for us to break away from the use of plastic, then how can we reduce plastic waste in the ocean? This is the time we implement a sustainable lifestyle by using eco-friendly cups.

Fortunately, four ITB students innovated to make environmentally friendly cup products, Kaia. What and how are the eco-friendly cup products made by the nation's children? Let's see the review!

Indonesia is the World's Largest Producer of Plastic Waste 

It is undeniable, the very large population of Indonesia contributes to the amount of plastic waste in the world.

In fact, according to the Indonesia.go.id page, it was recorded that in 2020, Indonesia could produce more than 185,000 tons every day. Not surprisingly, Indonesia is the world's largest producer of plastic waste.

Plus, some cafes, restaurants, or culinary places still provide disposable tableware made of ordinary plastic.

Based on this problem, four ITB School of Business and Management students , namely Faya, Kamilia, Dian, and Nadin, made environmentally friendly cups as a substitute for plastic cups, project Kaia.

The existence of plastic waste that can last for hundreds of years and is difficult to biodegrade is very worrying. Every year, nearly millions of marine animals die from ingesting plastic waste .

Using Polyactic Acid as an Alternative to Plastics

Even though there are many alternative materials to replace disposable tableware, public awareness of the environment is still minimal.

It is rare to find people who bring their own eco-friendly spoons or cups from home. Therefore, culinary businesses such as restaurants and cafes remain the main key to reducing plastic waste from single-use tableware.

However, a new problem arises if the culinary business uses stainless steel or glass cutlery. Because, in addition to the large capital costs, the possibility of loss or breakage is also high.

Plus, culinary businesses need to add to the cleaning and labor costs of washing tableware such as cups or stainless steel spoons.

From the obstacles that arose, the Kaia project emerged to answer the culinary market's needs for disposable goods. Kaia can be an alternative to plastic straws or cups.

A number of studies have been carried out, but after various considerations for environmentally friendly plastic materials such as seaweed or paper, Kaia chose Polyactic Acid (PLA) material with similar properties to plastic but easily biodegradable.

At first glance, when you touch a straw or Kaia cup, it looks like ordinary plastic. However, it turns out that Kaia's eco-friendly straws and cups are made from corn starch.

In fact, Kaia's eco-friendly straws and cups are biodegradable in just 3-6 months. In fact, ordinary plastic takes up to 200 years to decompose!

When exposed to high temperatures above 41 degrees Celsius, this eco-friendly cup will melt easily. Amazingly, when it decomposes, PLA can transform into water or carbon dioxide gas.

But, no need to worry! Kaia products are certified and do not produce harmful or toxic fumes, so they are safe for the environment.

Partnering With Restaurants and Cafés

At the start of the business, Project Kaia experienced various rejections and customer skepticism. In fact, from the initial 300 cafes and restaurants in Bandung that were offered to collaborate, only 10 were willing to give a response.

Even so, Kaia did not give up, they tried different strategies by providing education and environmental awareness campaigns on social media. From the brand awareness that was built, the market strategy began to look successful. Many business people are interested in using eco-friendly cups or  straws from Kaia.

Currently, more than 20 clients in the F&B field have partnered with Kaia. Including well-known brands in Indonesia, such as Grand Hyatt Hotel, Filosofi Kopi, Stuja Coffee, and many more.

Kaia's Dream for a Sustainable Lifestyle in Indonesia

Starting out in Jakarta and Bandung, Project Kaia will continue to grow to offer environmentally friendly straws and cups in Indonesia.

The hope is that the Indonesian people can really leave plastic and switch to alternative materials that are easily biodegradable, such as bioplastics.

Kaia, as a pioneer of PLA (bioplastic) products in Indonesia, wants to realize the dream of an Indonesia that is more sustainable and free of plastic waste.

Of course, this dream can be realized with the support of various parties, including the F&B industry which uses environmentally friendly straws and cups.

It doesn't stop there, Project Kaia also educates partners so that they can manage Kaia's straw and cup waste to be more sustainable. In the future, Kaia will try to enter the tourism market to be ready to switch to using environmentally friendly products to replace single-use plastic cups.

Project Kaia is also willing to accommodate and manage bioplastic waste from cup or PLA straws from the community or clients. In fact, Kaia negotiated with the Ministry of the Environment to support the program being implemented.

How about you, are you interested in using eco-friendly cups and straws? You can use it for your culinary business or use it yourself at home, you know! Please contact Kaia.eco's Instagram for more info.