Thursday 13 / March / 2025
Muscat: If you love the environment and having coffee or tea, then this product might be your “cup of tree.”
A group of Omani students have good news for coffeeholics as they have introduced a paper cup that can be planted in the soil and can grow to produce arugula and radish.
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The environment-friendly product called ‘Naf’ has proved to be a hit amongst companies in the Sultanate as students have received orders for 11,000 cups, according to Hala Al Rashdi, a member of a student-run company.
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“We are planning to earn profit by charging firms for placing their advertisements on the cups’ sleeve, while we distribute them at local coffee shops,” she explained.
A designer and 14 students from the Sultan Qaboos University have started their ambitious project last April, and are planning to go commercial soon.
The group consists of six boys and eight girls from the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, Commerce and Science. The steps on how to plant the cup will be printed on the sleeves.
Each cup will include seeds in its base and only needs to be buried slightly beneath the ground and should be watered daily for it to grow into a plant.
Al Rashdi explained that the project will contribute to making Oman greener by increasing the number of people who plant trees.
“We have a considerable number of people who are fans of coffee/tea,” Al Rashdi said, adding that these cups might help develop a new habit.
“People will see how amazing it is to see your plant growing,” she said. Al Rashdi explained that the company’s main objective is to raise awareness about environment and to make Oman greener.
The team is currently reaching out to customers through social media and personal marketing.
“Our CEO and Vice Chairman will always find a way to push us into achieving our goals using maximum effort. There is a magical harmony between the team members,” Al Rashdi stated.
