Attending a big meeting recently at a very fancy university event, I noticed that they had provided little tissue pads to site between the cups and saucers. These were, inevitably, branded with the university crest.
It occurred to me that this all seemed a little crazy.
Today’s invention is a generic saucer made of the same pulpy cellulose material from which egg cartons are formed. This would be supplied to institutions together with a small press in the shape of their emblem or logo (just like the ones you get when you register a company in the UK). The cups would still be ceramic.
There would be no more saucer rattling, the drips would be effectively soaked up, the brands would be displayed prominently and the saucers themselves could be easily recycled into eg plant mulch or more saucers, thus cutting down on the dishwashing load significantly. There would also be no toxic ink residues to worry about.
