Who doesn't know the image. The sea of plastic cups at a festival. After years of pioneering and perseverance, Lenze Leunge found an alternative: the first 100% fossil-free "plastic" cup.
From his recycling company LIMM, Leunge was already working circularly with the recycling of coffee cups. When the province of Friesland was looking for an alternative to plastic cups for Leeuwarden Cultural Capital, he decided to take on this challenge.
Leunge put his heart and soul into the project. He sought contact with universities, colleges and local companies to give shape to his idea. Thanks in part to support from the Biocas Interreg stimulus fund, he succeeded in developing the Happy Cup. A cup made of PHA biopolymer; an organic material created by feeding bacteria with sugarcane.
'In the dishwasher and still biodegradable'
'Our goal is always to reuse the cups. But if they do end up in the trash, in the ditch or in the sea, they dissolve into CO2 and minerals that are good for nature. They can go in the dishwasher but are still biodegradable," he smiles. Leunge deliberately chose the unconventional route. 'I am convinced of the importance of our product. PHA biopolymer is the plastic of the future. Happy Cups has a mission and we want to share it. By investing in our cups, you are investing in a sustainable world. I'm proud of that.
His advice for other companies? 'Circular business has the future, I am convinced of that. Operate locally as much as possible. Invest in your own region and look for local support partners like the province, colleges and universities or the NOM.'
