The Stay Tray: helping us stay true to a sustainable coffee experience

This highly sustainable drinks tray is customisable with business branding, perfect for cafes, large companies or as an employee Christmas gift they can actually use.

By now most of us have our very own sustainable keep cups to enjoy our takeaway coffee waste and guilt free. But what about those nasty cardboard carry trays thrust upon us when we want to buy drinks for our friends too?

Melbourne mum of two, Kate Stewart saw the problem and decided to fix it, resulting in the Stay Tray — an all Aussie made, sturdy and reusable coffee  tray that is the final element in a no-waste sustainable coffee experience.

“Little did I know how much my coffee habit would be such a game changer for me and potentially the world,” Kate said.  

Made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, the award-winning Stay Tray has already passed the user road test time and again, with sales increasing by 300 per cent in the past six months. 

The product is also available in over 50 stores and coffee shops where locals have jumped at the opportunity to do the right thing with a product that really delivers. Available in two or four cup  versions, with a range of colours and customisable inserts, the Stay Tray is designed to be more than a necessary addition. It’s like having an extra arm, or two!

Companies big and small that care about sustainability can also get the Stay Tray personalised with their choice of branding, which is already proving a popular option. 

From coffee run to award-winning business​​

The design of the product itself took over six months, working with Melbourne-based consultancy Hone PD who have an impressive track record with creating innovative eco products. 

That process quickly saw the scope of the Stay Tray expand to include water bottles, sports drinks and even alcoholic beverages, for the parent on the go. 

“One of the best parts about having a designer so close was I could jump in the car and… touch and test the prototypes right away,” Kate said.

Capable of accommodating about 95 per cent of disposable and reusable cups and bottles, the next step was finding a manufacturer who could deliver on Kate’s high standards for ethics and sustainability.

Finding an engineer that would actually manufacture the product within Australia was not easy and would necessarily mean paying more, but to Kate “the credibility of Stay Tray depended on it.”

After another six months of searching, Kate did eventually find a manufacturer that could produce the product within Australia, and in fact, less than 60 kms from her Melbourne front door.

All of her hard work meant Kate has delivered a product that not only supports the planet, but local designers, engineers and manufacturers too. 

If that doesn’t deserve a drink, what does?