Regenerative Coffee Cup Campaign
Small Cup. Big Impact.
Destination Door County (DDC), in collaboration with local partners, launched the Regenerative Coffee Cup Campaign—a sustainability pilot designed to reduce waste while demonstrating how small actions can create meaningful environmental impact across Door County.
The pilot program replaced traditional disposable coffee cups with compostable bamboo cups and lids at Kick Ash Products in Ellison Bay, giving customers a more sustainable option while testing a circular approach to waste reduction.
Rather than sending used cups to a landfill, the program focused on closing the loop by collecting used cups and ensuring they were composted locally, returning the materials back to the earth.
The Regenerative Coffee Cup Campaign was made possible through a collaboration between Destination Door County, Kick Ash Products, Mighty Wind Farms, the Climate Change Coalition of Door County, and Door County North.
Closing the Regeneration Cycle
Choosing a compostable cup is only the first step. To complete the regeneration cycle, cups and lids must be properly composted.
After enjoying your beverage, please:
- Place your bamboo cup and lid in the green compost bin.
- Bury the cup and lid in the ground if composting at home.
- Bring the cup and lid to a local compost site for proper processing.
When composted correctly, the bamboo cup and lid will naturally break down into soil within approximately 4–6 months.
By placing your cup in the garbage, it will be transported to a landfill where it may eventually decompose—but it remains trapped in the landfill instead of returning nutrients to a garden, farm, or compost system.
Help complete the regeneration cycle: compost your cup instead of throwing it away.
Pilot Results
Throughout the month of May, the Regenerative Coffee Cup Initiative demonstrated how small changes can create measurable environmental impact.
During the month-long pilot at Kick Ash Products:
- 2,570 compostable bamboo cups were served.
- 762 cups and lids were returned for composting.
- The program achieved an impressive 30% return rate.
Customers were encouraged to return their used cups and lids to ensure the materials could be properly processed and returned to the earth. For guests taking beverages on the go, Kick Ash staff provided education about the cups’ compostable properties and encouraged participants to bury cups in the ground or bring them to a composting location.
The pilot generated valuable data and demonstrated strong community engagement in sustainable practices. By reducing reliance on traditional disposable cups and introducing regenerative alternatives, the initiative helped divert waste while increasing awareness of compostable products and responsible disposal methods.
Proof That It Works
The campaign is already showing promising results.
Bamboo cups collected from the Baileys Harbor compost site were visibly breaking down, demonstrating how these materials can return to the earth when composted properly.
Within a few months, what began as a coffee cup can become part of a healthy compost system—creating soil instead of waste.
Growing the Impact
Following the successful launch of the pilot campaign at Kick Ash Products, the Regenerative Coffee Cup Campaign is expanding to Get Real Café in Sturgeon Bay.
The pilot demonstrated that residents and visitors are eager to participate in sustainability initiatives that make a tangible difference. The lessons learned from the first phase will help strengthen the program as it expands to additional locations throughout Door County.
By bringing compostable cups to more businesses, the campaign continues to build momentum toward reducing landfill waste, supporting local composting efforts, and creating a more regenerative future for the community.
Every cup returned for composting helps strengthen the cycle—proving that small, everyday choices can have a lasting impact.
How You Can Help.
Every cup makes a difference.
- ☕ Enjoy your beverage in a compostable bamboo cup.
- 🌱 Return your cup and lid to the green compost bin.
- ♻️ Help transform waste into healthy soil.
If you’re a business in Door County that would like to participate in our initiative, please contact Sue Schwartz at [email protected] or (920) 818-1138.
Together, we’re turning small actions into meaningful impact—one cup at a time.