Q&A with Matt, founder of JOCO cups

We are total fans of your reusable glass cups. What was your motivation to start JOCO ?

The JOCO brand was derived out of personal protest against the strengthening impact that plastic and disposable waste was having on our world. Our obsession with convenience was fast creating a plastic world with a disposable culture. We’ve become very good at removing waste from our sight but not from our lives. So we’ve created a natural disconnect with our daily footprints .

Misconceptions and fallacies around the recyclability of plastic further fuelled the severe over use of plastic. All of the above allowing a storm to brew, that may very well be the biggest threat to our future yet.

The Global crises grows every day and our recycling efforts have been clogged and inefficient for many years due to the plastic tsunami. The only way forward is to turn off the tap of plastic and disposable waste, by using the correct materials. Providing real product solutions to empower the individual to make a direct change in their every day life.

What makes JOCO Cups different to other products on the market ?

JOCO cups aim to overcome the barriers to reuse by enhancing the experience of your daily ritual, whilst stopping disposable and refusing plastic . Our products are meticulously designed for a life time of reuse, so we only use the healthiest , best functioning materials that we have developed specifically for this application. Our materials are unique in the function they offer and the course they run, we consider each component very carefully. All JOCO products are 100% plastic free, being truly NON toxic and fit for long term reuse.

Our silicone we developed specifically for use with coffee and tea, very different to plastic and standard silicone on the market which can be filled with plastic, Our silicone is non Toxic, NON porous, antimicrobial and will not degrade into micro particles.

Our glasses are artisan blown and by JOCO artist NOT machines. These are light, durable, thermal shock and acid resistant.

How much do disposable coffee cups add to global waste ?

The figure is ever changing last 3rd party reports estimate it to be over 500 billion cups per year. I like to think ongoing growth in consumer awareness is stemming this flow, but still the answer it that there is too much unnecessary waste created by a daily habit that we should be able to plan for with a reusable.

Overall the coffee cups are not the biggest offender, there are various other areas that demand attention. However the coffee cups issue is a result of a disposable culture and can be changed now. A positive change in this area is sign of a shift in the culture.

Are consumers are responding to the War on Waste ?

Yes! The response has been quite amazing. There has always been information out there about the negative impact of plastic and waste but maybe it has been too much doom and gloom. For some reason I feel that there is a lot of ‘white noise’ around the subject that has almost made some demographics switch off.

Additionally with misrepresentation around the recyclability of plastic, consumers have continued to think they are solving the issue simply by using the recycling bin.

War on Waste cut through the white noise and really captured the attention of all demographics and kicked change into gear.

The biggest positive we’ve noted from the War on Waste event is that the change in culture has spread across all demographics. The questions we receive from our supporters and new consumers, show that they are looking for long term real solutions. They are no longer willing to sit back and wait for change they are seeking to make immediate and direct change in their every day routines.

What were you doing before starting JOCO ?

I worked in the surf and snow industry covering all facets of business and product management. I spent a lot of time with design and production but also accounted for the full product cycle.

I also travelled a lot surfing and snowboarding in various parts of the world. I got to see first hand the incredible reach that plastic waste has. I remember being in the back country of North America snowboarding, a place so quiet and untouched by society, yet I still found several items of plastic.

Tell us about the design process. Have there been any discoveries and/or changes along the way ?

The design process is always fun and interesting, it’s a matter of connecting dots that you put in place through research. The challenges lie when you attempt to work out side of the plastic world. We have become very good at making plastic, and plastic has many drawcards. It’s easy to work with, easy to design to and it’s cheap. Achieving function without plastic requires unique and mindful design.

We have a very good team, and we are proud of the industry leading techniques that we have developed, allowing us to work outside of the plastic world.

What makes you most proud of JOCO?

Staying true to our brand values and working outside of the plastic world.

Every time we see someone using a JOCO cup it’s great to think we were able to assist in their initiative to go plastic and waste free.

// To visit JOCO head to https://jococups.com/