Disposable cups are everywhere but with each new cafe, with each drink, we set the new norm, together.
Cristina Rodriguez
Our values
We believe reuse is the way forward. Our cups are cozy to hold and keep your coffee hot longer. And real cups— ours or yours, are better for your health and the planet.
Single-use cups are rarely recycled. Compostable cups use more energy over their lifecycle than reusable cups (stainless steel, ceramics, or glass), and btw, they aren’t accepted at composting facilities in Oregon. Disposable coffee cups have a polyethylene layer that degrades when hot liquids are in the cups - yep, microplastics get into your drink.
Our stainless steel cups are clean and ready for you at your favorite cafe. They’re durable (over 500 uses) and they keep your drink hot (or cold) longer.
Our network has brought together a unique group of cafes through the shared use of OKAPI cups. Our members are a passionate group of consumers who are continuously choosing to send a message with their actions. Engaging with cafe staff and members brings us a lot of joy.
Photo by Rebecca Altman, PhD
Meet the team
Emily (she/her), Margot (they/them), Deb (she/her)
We’re Emily Chueh and Deb Gray, and we started OKAPI Reusables during the pandemic as take-out trash began to pile up. We’re inspired by reusable cup startups making a big impact in faraway places (700+ cafes in Australia) and by leaders here in town who took the initiative to stock mason jars for cold drinks to go to cut down on plastic. We want to make it easy and affordable for cafe owners to get started with reusable cups, and simple for coffee/tea/juice/smoothie/boba lovers to have an alternative to all those throwaway cups.
We have amazing support from our skilled colleagues: Margot Chirayath (Portland Network Lead), JoséM Maidana (Communications Intern), Jessica Jane Robinson (CASA Alameda), Eileen Liu (San Mateo Intern), Martine Freiberger (UI/UX and branding), Stephanie Spaid (graphic design), Jennifer Kirk (marketing), and Joyce Chow (waste management consulting, branding).
About the okapi
Although it resembles a zebra, the okapi is a relative of the giraffe. It lives in the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa and is an endangered species.
We’re inspired by the okapi’s beauty and longevity - it’s one of the oldest mammals on Earth.
Borrowing this striking creature’s name, we are OKAPI Reusables, a women-owned business working to make returnable cups a great experience for baristas, café owners, and everyone who likes coffee and boba to-go. You’ll see the okapi make an appearance in our work and add a little extra joy to your coffee or boba.