Happy Saturday! Let’s kick off the weekend with a quick catch-up on the latest food tech news. We’ve got stories about smart microwaves, digitizing street vegetable vendors, and coffee mugs made of reusable coffee cups. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!
There’s a reusable mug made from old coffee cups
Roughly 2.5 billion coffee cups are thrown out per year in the U.K. That’s some serious waste. British company Ashortwalk is trying to do trim that number by turning recycled coffee cups into a reusable mug (h/t Fast Company). Called rCup, the 12-ounce sustainable mug costs £12 and is made from 6 former cups. It’s only available in the U.K. for now but might be making its way to the U.S. later in 2019.
GE Microwaves are now compatible with Google Assistant
You can now use Google Assistant to control your smart GE microwave, thanks to a new software update. Engadget reports that microwave/Google Assistant owners can use voice commands to start, pause, stop, or add time to their microwaves. GE first started integrating its smart appliances with the Google Assistant last year. Its microwaves are already compatible with Alexa.
Indonesia’s mobile vegetable sellers go digial
A new Indonesian startup, Kedai Sayur, is out to facilitate day-to-day operations of local street vendors selling fruits and vegetables. Hawkers can use Kedai Sayur’s app to negotiate lower rates for produce and place orders for next-day delivery. Techcrunch reports that the startup is now backed by East Ventures, an early-stage VC fund.
Did we miss anything? Clue us in on Twitter @TheSpoonTech!