Rationale: The SipCup

The SipCup is a sustainable tea cup with an interactive property to it. This teacup is a great gift for everyone. Tea is a drink very commonly consumed by a lot of people.  The cup is interactive in the way the user determines the amount of tea that will be placed into the filter of the cup. The user can also have fun with the concept of tea making by being able to place different mixtures of tea in the cups filter. As the tea brews, the user can look at the process of the tea making which can be very communicating.

The SipCup follows five of the guidelines of the Okala design wheel:

• ·         It uses renewable resources
• ·         It creates opportunities for local chain supply
• ·         It uses recycled or reclaimed materials
• ·         It minimises manufacturing
• ·         It is manufactures from recyclable non-toxic material

This teacup is manufactured from recycled glass obtained from collected glass bottles. The lid that is placed on the glass cup is also manufactured from recycled wine corks. The manufacturing process of the glass cup is very simple due to the modest shape of the cup. The product can be manufactured locally, with many cork and glass recycling warehouses.

The shape of the cup is also very interactive. The user is intrigued to hold the cup in their hands, and thus enjoy their tea.