Clean cup creators to combine forces

In this tale of two coffee cups, Australian eco-packaging innovator BioPak has acquired reusable cup creator Huskee in a bid to speed its journey towards a waste-free world.

Each company has taken a different pathway towards boosting circularity in the previously single-use take away food and beverage packaging market. BioPak has developed plant-based, compostable cups while Huskee has focused on reusable cups made from discarded coffee husks.

Many regions around the world are in the process of implementing bans on certain categories of single-use plastics – with particular scrutiny being placed on non-compostable coffee cups and lids.

The two companies say that by joining forces they’ll be better positioned to “fast-track and strengthen both BioPak and Huskee’s shared vision towards a circular economy and a world without waste”. 

BioPak is an Australian B Corp that has been creating sustainable food service packaging made from rapidly renewable, plant-based materials since 2006. Now a globally recognised brand it has also more recently launched a not-for-profit scheme that connects businesses to compost pick-up services. 

Based in Sydney, Huskee was founded in 2017 to design “functional and beautiful products” from recycled materials to accelerate the transition away from single-use products. 

At Huskee, we recognise that a vision of having a waste-free world is one that cannot be done on our own, but one that needs collaboration across industries.

Huskee started out with a reusable HuskeeCup made from husks leftover from the production of coffee, and its range now includes cups made from recycled plastic (HuskeeRenew) and cups made from recycled stainless steel (HuskeeSteel).

"At Huskee, we recognise that a vision of having a waste-free world is one that cannot be done on our own, but one that needs collaboration across industries," founder Saxon Wright said.

"With this, BioPak’s values and ethos are perfectly aligned with Huskee’s commitment to the environment, and we see this as a significant step forward in helping us continue to build scalable ecosystems that seek to reduce waste, encourage the reuse of goods and recycle materials to enable the transition to a waste-free world."

According to BioPak, Huskee will continue operating with its current team under the new ownership structure.

BioPak's CEO Gary Smith said he hoped the partnership would open the door to new circular-solution reusable products and services to be “seamlessly integrated into BioPak’s offering, enabling us to better serve our ever-expanding global customer base".

"BioPak’s long-term strategic direction is to drive significant investment into the reusable market, with Huskee’s impressive cup exchange program and end-of-life recycling program being perfectly aligned with our vision towards circularity," Smith said.

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