Public health concerns today around microplastics are driving uptake of novel paper-based foodservice solutions — perhaps even more so than environmental regulations, according to Brandon Leeds, co-founder of paper straws and all-in-one cups maker Nothing.
“We always thought it was weird that paper straws were being used in plastic cups or plastic lids,” Leeds said during an interview at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. “That's where we had this idea for an all-in-one cup.”
Leeds said conversations over multiple years at the foodservice show have shifted from prospective customers being intrigued by the products’ aesthetics to having health concerns front of mind — “I'm eating a lot of plastic, I'm drinking a lot of plastic.”
The brand launched its four-flap cold cup two years ago, Leeds said, followed by a three-flap hot cup about a year and a half ago. The designs allow for drinking from a spout or inserting a straw.
The cups, which the company says are currently produced in Indonesia with responsibly sourced virgin kraft material from a range of suppliers, have an aqueous dispersion coating that bonds with the fibers. The company claims the cups can either be recycled, due to the absence of plastic or wax coating, or composted at home or in industrial settings.
“We're trying to just make products that actually decompose, no matter how you dispose of them,” Leeds said.
Formerly known as Sofi Products, Miami-based Nothing is about six months into a rebrand and wants to grow production in the United States. Nothing is eyeing opening a facility in Dallas in the next six to nine months, Leeds said — a central location to supply the U.S. and Canada.
Nothing’s products are currently in about 600 businesses in the two countries, including individual coffee shops, cafes and farmers markets, he said. Venues such as Niagara Falls and Rocky Mountain National Park are other customers.
Leeds claims Nothing is able to compete on price compared with more traditional alternatives, in part because businesses don’t have to pay for as many cup components. For those customers, “they’re just looking for healthier options for themselves and for the environment, but then there’s the added bonus of: I don't need to use a lid, I get rid of an entire SKU category,” he said.
The other biggest boost for scaling a small startup brand? Viral videos on social media.
While the atypical cup design might take some getting used to for consumers, there are advantages. Last year “we had probably 10 viral reels of showing the folding of the cup, how to use it,” Leeds said. “That whole aspect to it being different also has some sort of virality into it.”
Disclosure: The National Restaurant Association Show is run by Informa, which owns a controlling stake in Informa TechTarget, the publisher behind Packaging Dive. Informa has no influence over Packaging Dive’s coverage.
