The answer to single use coffee cups: Biodegradable 3D-printed mugs made from fruit waste

Coffee cups are being grown from fruit by a design company in a bid to cut down on plastic waste. They are made from gourds, a large fruit with a hard skin in the pumpkin family, using custom-designed 3D-printed moulds. The company claims that these biodegradable cups can be manufactured on a mass scale – offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to paper coffee cups. Gourds are fast-growing plants that bear strong fruit each season. Once dried, the gourds' strong outer skin and fibrous inner flesh becomes watertight.