Comments on: the Indian clay cup.

By: lambodar mishra

lambodar mishra — Thu, 26 May 2011 08:30:31 +0000

Mam i love to see this, and interested this clay cup project.

i also love to eat tea in clay cup.

thanks.

By: jenny

jenny — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:22:17 +0000

Namaste Sohini, it’s nice to hear from you and your ambitions to launch such a positive project on your campus! Have you made any progress? We have heard that clay cups aren’t of choice on the RR because plastic is much cheaper, thus a bigger profit for the vendors. Perhaps the weight of carrying clay cups (laziness, inconvenience) are other factors. I can’t imagine any chai ‘drinkers’ who would prefer plastic to clay. Please keep us updated with your project.

By: useful idiot

useful idiot — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 19:58:51 +0000

hi,all..i am an mba student from tamilnadu india..

i would like to do a business plan using clay cups..

my ultimate goal is to replace plastic/paper cups to clay cups..which helps in uplifting traditional pot makers..as their business exhibits downpour nowadays,,

since it reduce the usage of plastics,which cannot be recycled easily..or the paper cups ,becos of which more trees are cut down..

tell me about the benefits and also the disadvantages of using clay cups…also solutions how to overcome it..

as per my concern..clay cups are better compared to plastic/paper cups..

since we are all very conscious about our environment..

i would like to start a clay cup manufacturing and distributing business..so hope u people will help me on this regard…thanx in advance…pls..send ur views and ideas to my mail id..usefulidiot89@gmail.com

By: Miriam

Miriam — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:14:58 +0000

A lot has been said about this now famous clay cup!! I am so happy to see so many people interested and wanting a change in the right direction! Clay cups are a) totally environment friendly, b) very sanitary and hygienic!! Clay is a 100% renewable resource freely available to man filled with various minerals essential to the body. However hard the big money cooperates try to destroy this fact, if is a fact and it cannot be fully suppressed. In response to Balthasar’s:
“I don’t know about the environmental benefits, though. It has been said that valuable soil is used, and the clay pits where it has been removed leave the earth unprotected and barren. Any info on this?” The ideas that these big money cooperates put in the minds of people doesn’t cease to surprise me–Clay is a renewable resource, and when it is hand mined, it gets replaced with more. The statement that it leaves the “earth unprotected” is totally false.
Clay has the ability to weed out toxic residues from fertilizers etc, because it is all negative ions and these fertilizers are positive ions. So there should be little fear on these chemicals being retained in the clay. And even if there is that fear, I think the approach should be to set limits on where the potters can take the clay from, let them avoid industrial areas etc. TO eliminate the use of clay cups on the basis of something that isn’t true is ridiculous. Lets please continue to use clay cups, they are so beneficial to both the environment and the health of the person using it.

By: Maheshwari

Maheshwari — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:38:37 +0000

This cups are like fantastic. These are Eco-friendly, which can be easily disposable. But nowadays,the cups are vanishing day by day. These cups which are made out earthen clay known as “Kulhads”.India is famous for this also. So, i hope that more and more of these cups can be made.

By: Balthasar

Balthasar — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:53:41 +0000

Jenny & Patrick,

really nice website, and looking forward to your book. You are, I take it, aware that the use of disposable clay cups originated from the higher casts in order to avoid ‘contamination’ from the Dalits?

When I first came to India, some thirty years ago, clay cups were used everywhere. Nowadays it’s hard to come by, it is plastic indeed, where ever you look.

I don’t know about the environmental benefits, though. It has been said that valuable soil is used, and the clay pits where it has been removed leave the earth unprotected and barren. Any info on this?

And ‘to drink’ in Devanagri, wouldn’t that be ‘pina’? And then wouldn’t the cup be referred to as Pite Ke Put? Not sure though.

And for those who have never been to India: avoid the glasses, I totally agree with the above. It is the highway to disease and misery. Believe me. Been there, done that.

By the way, we have been active in Benares with our Duniya Foundation since 1996, providing tuition and basic health care for the less privileged. Check it out if you’re interested: http://www.duniya.org

Greetings from The Netherlands.

By: Sohini

Sohini — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:19:11 +0000

hi evrybody.great website,interesting inputs!im a social science student in mumbai and im doing research on these clay chai cups and why they are not more commonly available and widely used in mumbai.i plan to start some initiative in my own college campus for the same and maybe work out a proposal for its usage on a larger scale in the state later on.ive heard that the railway canteens had begun with the practice of using these clay cups but the project fell through. any info…any suggestions or guidance any of you might have is welcme.id also need to find out more about the potter community of maharashtra,the feasibility of involving shgs,cooperatives,the handloom and cottage industry patronised by the govt. that aims at development of the tribals and dalits..basically learn more abt the general feasibility of the project…looking forward to all the help i can get =)

By: consumptiongirl

consumptiongirl — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:26:03 +0000

This would be a great idea for the betacup project!

By: jenny

jenny — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:28:04 +0000

Veronika, when did you last travel in the North? that is a shame about the plastic cups. We agree with you 100%!!

By: Veronika

Veronika — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:36:48 +0000

Namaste! Sorry for the late reply! I travelled around Northern India only. Delhi, Gorakpur, Udaipur are the trains I took. Only plastic cups on all these trains and platform stalls. Didn’t come across clay chai cups anywhere else either. Sure, there would be pollutants in the clay, but still it’s got to be better than plastic for biodegradeable reasons, as well as aesthetics and taste!