MATERIAL

GaeaStar

EuropeFood & BeverageFood GradeInertLeak ProofNorth AmericaPackagingRigidStrong

GaeaStar's range of cups and bowls naturally disintegrate into small fragments and dust when discarded / Source: GaeaStar

Last updated: 8 Aug 2024

GaeaStar's multi-use ceramic vessels showcase its innovative 'drink to dust' technology, using just three ingredients: clay, water, and salt.

Commercially Available

Europe | North America

Coffee in a GaeaStar cup / Source: GaeaStar

The company offers a range of takeaway bowls for food items / Source: GaeaStar

The cups can be used for cold drinks / Source: GaeaStar

The bowls are available in three sizes / Source: GaeaStar

A small bowl containing ice cream / Source: GaeaStar

The bowls can be used as plant pots / Source: GaeaStar

The material eventually disintegrates into small fragments and dust through mechanical force / Source: GaeaStar

SNAPSHOT

A modern-day twist on ancient Indian terracotta traditions, GaeaStar's next-gen, additive manufacturing technology creates "glazed earthenware" in low-cost, modular and connected microfactories.

Using only locally abundant, geo-neutral materials, the company's first technology application is ultra-thin, environmentally inert single-use cups. Designed to be reused until they break by mechanical force, these cups seamlessly disintegrate back into dust, returning to the Earth without impact.

PROS

Stronger than paper cups

Any cylindrical shape possible

Stackable

CONS

Prone to breakages

Commercially available with select launch partners

Limited colourways

GaeaStar

Key properties:

Food Grade / Inert / Leak Proof / Rigid / Strong

Common uses:

Food & Beverage / Packaging

LIFE CYCLE

Sourcing

Clay is an inorganic material, just like bones, seashells, and egg shells. It is composed of minerals and is naturally present in the earth.
GaeaStar uses sustainably sourced clay, an abundant natural resource available across the world.
The company locally sources its clay near its hubs in San Francisco and Berlin, where its headquarters are located and its pilot partners are situated.
The company prioritises local sourcing to shorten the supply chain and reduce the impact of shipping and distribution. It creates products locally, with local labour, for local usage.

Production

Once the clay is sourced, the only additional ingredients required are water and salt.
GaeaStar's production method combines traditional ceramic manufacturing techniques with a proprietary additive manufacturing – or 3D printing – process.
The engineering company produces its range in two decentralised micro-factories in San Francisco and Berlin.
As they are fed into the production process, the materials are subject to high temperatures to sinter the particles together, but no reactive chemistry is used.
The colour of the vessels varies depending on the clay that is used, meaning slight colour variations can be achieved. For example, Californian clay contains more iron, meaning it has more of an orange hue.
The company is aiming to make its production process fossil-fuel free by refining the combination of energy sources it uses to manufacture its products. It is conducting multiple level one LCAs to quantify its environmental footprint.
The clay vessels contain no fillers, linings or inks, but they can be laser branded.
Inspired by eggshells, the vessels are ultra-thin, minimising resource usage and enabling the product to break down more easily at the end of its life.
The company is developing a lid solution for its range, which is scheduled to be available in 2024.
GaeaStar is planning to establish a "local production ecosystem", rolling out a micro-factory model to locally serve its partners and clients.

In Use

GaeaStar's vessels are food-safe and are independently tested to comply with both US and EU food safety requirements.
The material is inert, meaning that it will not leach any harmful chemicals into the food items and beverages it holds.
The vessels are leakproof and suitable for hot and cold food items and beverages, such as coffee, ice cream, and takeout meals.
The company has developed a paper-based sleeve for its cups to improve the user experience when holding hot drinks. These can be used to tell the story of the brand, and provide extra protection when the cups are stacked in transit.
The product is stackable to facilitate transportation and storage.
The technology can be used to create any cylindrical form, and the company has additional shapes and sizes on its product roadmap.
The vessels have been purposefully designed for reusability, empowering consumers to embrace circularity. They are durable and can be used multiple times.
Consumers can endlessly repurpose the vessels, transforming them into food containers and homeware like plant pots, candle holders, and storage containers.
Due to their delicate design, the company recommends handwashing the cups to prevent breakages.
The company’s current barista pilot partners charge USD 2 or CHF 2 for each cup. If customers bring the cup back, they receive 50 cents off their next coffee purchase.

End of Life

Unless they are broken by the user, all GaeaStar products can be reused over and over again.
The vessels do not require a recycling stream. They can either be discarded with general waste or smashed on the ground. Once broken down, the material can also be used in industrial applications like grounding in-fill, and as a concrete additive.
Since clay is a naturally occurring, inorganic material sourced from the earth, the cups return to their origin if left in nature.
Unlike compostable organic matter, which is broken down by microorganisms, clay disintegrates through mechanical force into small fragments and dust, returning back to the earth without causing harm.

HOW TO ACTION

1

Champion reusability

Show your customers how they can repurpose your packaging. A reusable product isn't a guarantee that it will be kept in use. Weave a story into your brand about your packaging's versatility to showcase the endless possibilities.

2

Eliminate recycling

Design for multi-use and permanence to bypass the need to recycle materials. GaeaStar's trailblazing innovation demonstrates that by using unaltered natural materials, we can move beyond recycling and eliminate waste entirely.

3

Become a pilot partner

Build your network and expertise by supporting startups like GaeaStar with product trials. To solve our way out of the plastic waste crisis, we need to make the shift together.