Frank and Honest, who recently announced their commitment to become the first national coffee brand to move to 100% compostable coffee cups, has joined forces with the Ulster University to launch a competition asking their fashion students to create a wearable garment using only Frank and Honest compostable cups in their design.
The students will have their work cut out for them, explained Fergal O’Kane from Frank and Honest: “We are so thrilled to be partnering with the Ulster University and their incredible students. We’ve made a commitment to using only compostable cups by September this year and we wanted to celebrate this by working with the designers and recyclers of the future who will help us to communicate the importance of sustainability in a really fun and visual way.”
The students will create detailed drawings of wearable fashion designs from which the judges, from the Ulster University and Frank and Honest, will choose the winner who will get a cash prize, the chance to make their creation and to have it exhibited at a special event.
“The winning designer will get a top prize of £1000”, explained Fergal. “But most exciting of all is that the winning student will make the garment which former Miss Earth and reality TV star, Amira Graham, will model at a special event, later this year.”
Rachael Dickson, Associate Head of Ulster University’s Belfast School of Art said: “We are helping to nurture and develop the design talent of the future at our creative hub here at Ulster University’s Belfast School of Art. This competition is a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and vision, whilst also highlighting important issues around sustainability. Our students are all individual artists, designers and makers with unique approaches and vision developed through our Textile Art, Design and Fashion programme, so I have no doubt we will see a lot of exciting and challenging new ideas explored in their designs.”
Amira Graham who is a Former Miss Earth NI, an annual international environmental-themed beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness, said: “This is a fantastic competition as it not only encourages creativity in the students but it also promotes the importance of sustainability in our society, with a key demographic. I can’t wait to see what wonderful ideas the students come up with and to see the finished design. Frank and Honest is leading the way with their compostable cups and I hope many more companies follow their lead.”
Frank and Honest, available in selected SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores, will replace all non-recyclable single-use coffee cups with a new compostable cup and lid from September this year. This new initiative has the potential to divert millions of coffee cups from landfill annually.
The certified compostable coffee cups will be made from plant-based materials. After use, they can go in the brown bin and will biodegrade with food waste in under 12 weeks, creating nutrient-rich compost to feed Northern Ireland soils.
Find out the handiest place for you to get some Frank and Honest goodness at www.frankandhonest.ie.
