Abigail Forsyth and KeepCup: riding a green wave to profits
KeepCup’s sustainable branding captured the public mood about the environmental costs of disposable cups.


Abigail Forsyth struggled to get a hearing when she first came up with the idea of starting a business making reusable cups. “This is the stupidest idea I’ve ever seen,” said one designer she approached. “This is just a cup,” said a confused potential manufacturer. That was in Melbourne, Australia, in 2008, says Michelle Meehan on the BBC. Now, total worldwide sales at KeepCup have hit ten million.
KeepCup’s sustainable branding turned out to be cleverer than it seemed and it was able to ride a wave when concern spread about the environmental costs of disposable cups. The company produces and distributes reusable plastic and glass cups for sale around the world, and eventually aims to replace the single-use cardboard receptacles we had until recently taken for granted. But sustainability was never going to be enough – the product had “got to be sexy” if it was going to appeal to customers. From the beginning, it was “all about the design”, she says. “People were saying, ‘I don’t even know what it is, but I want one’.”
Sales have grown steadily over the years, thanks to word of mouth, and the firm’s annual revenues are now reported to be more than A$8m (£4m). The growth has been organic, not needing any outside investors, and in keeping with the firm’s green credentials, manufacturing is completed locally in the firm’s two main markets, Australia and the UK. The business has been hit by the coronavirus crisis, but Forsyth is confident she can bounce back. KeepCup will one day, she says, be seen as the business “that kick-started the demise of the disposable cup”.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Nic studied for a BA in journalism at Cardiff University, and has an MA in magazine journalism from City University. She has previously worked for MoneyWeek.
-
Inheritance tax bills exceed £500,000 for almost 10% of estates
Thousands of estates have had to pay a six figure inheritance tax bill – and the issue looks set to worsen.
-
Can gold protect you against inflation?
Inflation is on the rise in the UK. Could investing in gold protect your portfolio against rising prices?
-
Alexandr Wang: the AI wunderkind who takes his seat at Meta
Alexandr Wang became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire by exploiting a niche in the AI market. Now Mark Zuckerberg has poached him for a record sum
-
The true nature of economic growth
Opinion The feds making a number go up is one thing; true economic growth is quite another, says Bill Bonner
-
Trump eyes private foundations to raise tax. Will philanthropy decline?
The picture is mixed, but philanthropy on the whole is alive and well, says Simon Wilson
-
'Rachel Reeves' plan to force pension funds into UK assets won't work'
Opinion Hustling pension fund cash into British assets sounds like a good idea. It would be better to make Britain an attractive place to invest, says Matthew Lynn
-
Supersonic travel: How China could 'leapfrog' US and Europe's commercial aviation industry
Opinion Innovation in commercial aviation has been stuck for 60 years. A commercial supersonic jet might be back on the market soon, but will China get there first?
-
How British businesses can tackle Trump's tariffs
The majority of British businesses are likely to take a hit from the chaos caused by Trump’s tariffs to reorder global trade. Companies in the firing line face some difficult decisions, says David Prosser
-
Trump wants to colonise Mars – will it happen?
Donald Trump wants to plant the US flag on Mars. Could humans really live there?
-
Why are energy bills so expensive in the UK?
Electricity bills in the UK are higher than in any comparable rich country. Some blame the net-zero zealotry of the government for that. What is really to blame for high energy bills?