Triodos Organic Growth Fund has taken a minority stake in Ecoffee Cup, an innovative, UK-based consumer goods brand that develops and sells style-driven, reusable products for use in the on-the-go market. The long-term investment from Triodos Organic Growth Fund supports Ecoffee Cup in its ambition to promote re-use to a mainstream audience.
Each year, some 10 trillion single-use items are manufactured. Less than 30% of these items are recycled globally – meaning that more than two thirds end up in either landfill or, worse still, oceans. As part of this massive overall problem, over 100 billion single-use takeaway cups form part of this waste cycle, with the volume of the problem growing each year. Due to their plastic lining, less than one in 400 Single-use takeaway cups is recycled. Ecoffee Cup believes recycling is not the answer but behaviour change towards re-use is.
Driven by their mantra that there’s “no excuse for single use”, the founders and owners of Ecoffee Cup aspire to create innovative products that can replace single-use items in the out-of-home market. Their main product offering is a natural fiber-based to-go cup in multiple sizes and designs – offering a practical and stylish alternative to single-use cups.
Ecoffee Cup is the first investment of Triodos Organic Growth Fund in the United Kingdom. Jurriën Appers, Fund Manager of Triodos Organic Growth Fund: ‘Ecoffee Cup is a great addition to our portfolio. It is an exciting, fast-growing consumer goods brand, producing desirable products to help tackle a very big issue of post-consumer waste. The company has a clear plan for further growth and we look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise to realise this ambition.’
David McLagan, founder of Ecoffee Cup: “We believe we’re at the beginning of a new phase when it comes to the usage and impact of single-use items. Timing could not be better – and we are excited to be working with Triodos when global opportunities to promote re-use are in seemingly endless supply.”
Ecoffee Cup markets its products globally with a focus on the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. Since incorporation in September 2013, the company has grown to a turnover of more than GBP 5 million.
Please find the full press release as downloadable pdf above.
In December 2020, Triodos Organic Growth Fund was renamed Triodos Food Transition Europe Fund.