The archive · Product Ideas · Product decision · 2022–2023
The Good Cup's fold-and-lock paper top kills the plastic lid — TIME Best Invention 2023
A patented paper cup whose rim folds into a locking, spill-proof lid removes plastic from takeaway coffee; TIME named it a Best Invention of 2023.
The Good Cup
What it had to solve
Billions of single-use coffee cups are thrown away every year, and the plastic lid is among the least-recyclable parts of the takeaway system. Operators want to cut plastic use and cost, and consumers increasingly judge packaging by its environmental impact — so The Good Cup redesigned the cup itself.
How it works
Disposable coffee cups are part of daily life almost everywhere, and their plastic lids are among the least-recycled pieces of the whole system. The Good Cup's answer was subtraction: make a paper cup that does not need a lid at all.
The patented design builds the top into the cup itself. Its flap folds down and locks into place with a satisfying haptic click, creating a spill-proof seal, while the curved rim is shaped to the mouth for drinking. With an aqueous, plastic-free coating, the cup is designed to be recyclable in the paper stream and compostable at home, helping operators cut plastic dependence and cost.
The idea travelled. TIME listed The Good Cup among its Best Inventions of 2023 in product design, the cup added seven other international awards that year — Red Dot, iF and the German Design Award among them — and it was already launching in Japan, Australia and Europe.
Why it lands
- Removing the lid removes the least-recyclable component of a to-go cup instead of making a slightly greener version of it.
- The fold-and-lock flap adds no extra parts, so baristas and drinkers keep one-piece convenience.
- An aqueous, plastic-free coating lets the entire cup enter the paper recycling stream and compost at home.
- TIME and a string of 2023 design awards showed a small packaging idea could earn global recognition and real distribution.
What it did
TIME named The Good Cup one of its Best Inventions of 2023 in product design, and the design collected seven other international awards that same year, including Red Dot, iF and the German Design Award, while launching in Japan, Australia and Europe.
What you can take
The strongest sustainability fix is often subtraction: don't make a greener plastic lid — redesign the cup so the lid stops being a separate object that needs making at all.
Since then
By late 2023 The Good Cup had launched in Japan, Australia and parts of Europe, with US and Canadian distribution still being arranged. The D&AD awards archive carries the work with the brief that started it: a paper cup that helps companies cut plastic dependence and operating costs while answering consumers who increasingly weigh the environmental impact of what they buy.
Sources
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