After the resounding success at our second Princeton University reunion, highlighted in a previous blog post, the journey for our team and our cups was far from over. Founders Peter and Misha spent a day at an industrial composting facility in Connecticut knee-deep in used, beer-soaked Earth Cups. They separated 750 bags of cups from contaminants (anything other than Earth Cups, aka non-compostable stuff) and composted over 120,000 cups! 70% of all cups used at the reunion were collected and subsequently composted with a contamination rate of just 11.6% (that’s low)! The overwhelmingly positive outcome from this event demonstrates the dedication and belief Earth Brands has in the future of sustainable products and practices within practical settings, and proves that sustainability can be achieved and integrated into long-standing traditions and social celebrations. This proves the possibility and attainability of successful closed-loop programs, which minimizes the environmental impact of “single-use” products by both collecting and correctly disposing of them. Peter and Misha got their hands dirty and personally sorted and composted the waste from the reunion event, leading by example and emphasizing the devotion of Earth Brands toward a circular economy and making sustainability “cool and universal”. Their many days of collection at the event followed by eight hours at the composting facility demonstrates their willingness and commitment toward ensuring a sustainable future for our community and our products. We are ecstatic about this achievement and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for more closed-loop events like this one!