This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.
If you have not seen the New York Museum of Modern Art you should.
And if you have seen the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) then maybe you took a peak in their gift shop and saw the “I Am Not A Paper Cup” porcelain cup.
Well that cup is now available with your company’s logo on it from IMC, a high brow promotional item catalog that also carries brands like Driin and Waterford.
Yes the “I Am Not A Paper Cup” porcelain cup has entered the promotional items market.
There is nothing super green about I Am Not A Paper Cup. For the basics it is a double-walled porcelain cup with silicone top. As an eco-friendly alternative to disposable cups, this double-walled porcelain version with a pliable silicone lid keeps beverages hot and doesn’t burn your hand. So the green pull is from the fact it is environmentally responsible, i.e. it is a reusable cup. The I Am Not A Paper Cup is also dishwasher safe and comes with the MoMA logo printed on the back of the unit.
And of course they are cool. The cups where designed in 2007 by James Burgess and they are really rather hip, with a great feel and weight. The I Am Not A Paper Cup comes packaged in black MoMA gift box and is available with an imprint size of W 3″ x H 2″. Cup dimensions are W 3 7/8″ x H 6″ x D 3 7/8″.
With an EQP of $18.08 you quickly realize that yes, this is not a paper cup. (Even for a nice cup they are pricey as budget mugs normally run under EQP $1.25.) However for the Ecopreneurist looking for a special gift or giveaway, or looking to associated their cafe or organic coffee product with class, then you are certainly getting what you pay for with the I Am Not A Paper Cup.
If you are an ASI member contact Lynn Holt at IMC. If you are interested in the I Am Not A Paper Cup to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.
Adventures in Green Marketing 
I love the cups, but they are a little heavy to carry around in a purse. I wish they can make it a little lighter.
We at IMC were delighted that you felt the same way we did, when we first saw the “I Am Not a Paper Cup” from MoMA…cool, special, and eco-friendly, with class. We are determined that environmental responsibility can be cool and fun, as well. Thanks for the validation!
have you seen the KeepCup?
http://www.keepcup.com
Much cooler, lighter and easy to carry around.
It is made with low embodied energy and is recyclable at the end of its life.
David,
I like the Keep Cup. Is it also a promotional item like the Debco cup, i.e. can clients have the Keep Cup printed with their logo? Is it sold in the US?