Core77

[bluegrrrl]

i'm going to go *low-key* and figure out an alternative to sugar sticks (or sugar sachets) so that the wrappers are eliminated. i know that they probably dont contribute *that* much to environmental pollution, but hey, every little helps! i'll some of my ideas tomorrow

[abby]

Ha! Cute idea.
You're talking about pixie sticks, right?

[73lotus]

Interesting idea! Perhaps some type of non-toxic, untasteable coating to prevent bacteria, etc. from contaminating the sugar?

[purplepeopledesign]

Actually those Pixie Sticks are almost just right. Instead, design so the end breaks off and use the length to stir your newly sweetened coffee. Make the package biodegradeable and voila.

Better yet, make the whole thing a stir stick, like a candy cane. You stir it into the coffee and it dissolves. Whatever is left in hand can be dropped into the cup or sucked on like a sugar cube.

:)ensen.

[melovescookies]

Better yet, make the whole thing a stir stick, like a candy cane. You stir it into the coffee and it dissolves. Whatever is left in hand can be dropped into the cup or sucked on like a sugar cube.

I'm pretty sure it's been done, produced, and used...But if I'm wrong, that could be a nice step away from rock sugar...the kind that you remove from your cup (after the coffee is perfectly sweet) and let it dry out for the next use.

[ykh]

when did pixie sticks/sugar packets first arrive? why? what problem(s) did they solve?

[bluegrrrl]

Ha! Cute idea.
You're talking about pixie sticks, right?

lol - no, i was talking about the ones you get at coffee shops, to sweeten hot drinks.... although, i guess the idea could be extended to pixie stick candies!

[bluegrrrl]

i was initially thinking about a little container that could be carried around, on your person - coffee shops could have refill machines, to refill your sugar container.

however, ensen's idea seems cool

[purplepeopledesign]

Thanks, but I'm only just working the problem. Usually, it takes real insight to conceive the question.

So to work the problem some more... the "SugarStix"TM could be made similar to M&Ms, to melt in your coffee but not in your hand. As we know, the candy coating on M&Ms were invented during WW2 to keep the encased chocolate from melting or from becoming stale. This made the confection easy to pack around, even in the deserts of North Africa. The way to do this would be to design them to dissolve only when the temperature was >120F. That way, no reasonable environmental temperature would melt them, but they could be used in a hot cup of java.

:)ensen.

[melovescookies]

there's liquid sugar, too. I like using it, easy portion control, but dissolves faster in chilled drinks than regular one. And I'm not sure what's wrong with sugar cubes.

[purplepeopledesign]

...And I'm not sure what's wrong with sugar cubes.

It's the stir stick that gets thrown out.

[abby]

i was initially thinking about a little container that could be carried around, on your person - coffee shops could have refill machines, to refill your sugar container.

I'm confused about why you would want to carry sugar around on your person....wouldn't you just use the refill machine to put sugar straight into your drink? In other words, if there is already sugar available every place you might buy a hot drink, why would you need to carry it with you?

[purplepeopledesign]

Liquid sugar is over-rated. Not so much in the taste department but for how it mixes with a hot drink. Sadly, it requires nearly as much stirring as everyday bleached sugar. What is needed is a sweetener that will dissolve nearly instantly in the coffee, such that the need for a stirrer is minimized. With that, the stirrer may become a consumable part of the sweetener. Anything else will require a more durable stirrer, thus increasing the likelihood of landfill waste.

:)ensen.

[bluegrrrl]

I'm confused about why you would want to carry sugar around on your person....wouldn't you just use the refill machine to put sugar straight into your drink? In other words, if there is already sugar available every place you might buy a hot drink, why would you need to carry it with you?

i think i have pez dispensers on the brain! but i was thinking along the lines of .... the refill machines would fill up a few sachets worth of sugar into the pocket-sugar-dispenser... alternatively, i guess you could fill up the dispenser at home

[bluegrrrl]

...And I'm not sure what's wrong with sugar cubes.

It's the stir stick that gets thrown out.

i was thinking of an effervescent sugar tablet - wouldnt need a wrapper, wouldnt need a stirrer.... but i doubt that anyone would be too keen on fizzy coffee or tea