The Story

KINOI is a Stylish Reusable Brand and Online Retailer based in Australia. Our vision is to inspire a bubble tea world that is both stylish and sustainable, now and forever. 

Starting with the single-use plastic mess that bubble tea is causing, KINOI is devoted to creating collections of reusable Bubble Tea Glass Cups, Straws and Accessories, so that we can end plastic waste, inspire sustainable actions, and thrive on meaningful styles. 

Meet the Founder & The Story

Picture: Isabelle (Issy), Founder of KINOI

 

Hi everyone! My name is Isabelle and I am the Founder of KINOI. Nice to e-meet you!

I am excited to share with you my story - what sparked the idea of KINOI?

I first made the decision to stop drinking bubble tea in 2018. For those who are not familiar with the term, bubble tea (or boba), is a cold Taiwanese tea-based drink with the recipe containing a milk tea flavour, sugar and some chewy toppings like sago. 

The need to create a reusable bubble tea cup in Australia only ignited when I was visiting my family in Hong Kong 2019 February and saw endless queues for bubble tea and mountains of boba plastic in the bins - it was CRAZY!! I’ve never seen more single-use plastic in my life.

The reason was because whether you dine in or take away, all bubble tea was served in a single-use plastic cup. How annoying!! So I wanted - no, needed - to do something about it. In Australia we are doing really well when thinking about eco friendly and zero waste habits so I knew it’s not too hard to endorse the change here. But I’m thinking further ahead for consumers in Asia.

In many big cities like Hong Kong or Sydney, convenience often triumphs sustainable thinking. They often think “Plastic disposables are so convenient and don’t waste time.” That is why KINOI is a stylish reusable brand, as I believe the perception of style and fashion triumphs convenience.

I remember at the time I was immediately excited when I thought of the solution in Hong Kong and I actually said to my Mum “I cannot wait for the day someone creates a reusable bubble tea cup”. Later on that same day, I thought to myself, “Why can’t I be that someone? Why can’t I start something, and actually make a difference.”

Accessorising with KINOI will not just be a zero waste habit - but a way to help people enhance their everyday self and outfit.

Our social media will post inspiring looks and style tips with the KINOI reusable bubble tea cups, to show that sustainable is stylish.

What's amazing about KINOI so far is the co-creation between you (the KINOI Community) and I. The KINOI Community creates all the products, and I simply am the admin that puts it altogether. Sometimes our creations aren't perfect because all of us aren't the next Albert Einsteins or top engineers, but what's really great is that we can all chat about our reusable boba needs, vote in the Instagram polls and trial each product and give feedback.

I enjoy creating with all of you so far, and if you are new - welcome! Please head to @kinoicollection Instagram if you have an account so we can continue our conversation there!

Lots of Love, Issy & KINOI xx

#getbbtplasticfree