Brown University Student Hopes Her Compostable 'Fette' Cups Can Replace Traditional Solo Cups

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CBS) -- Flipped, pong'ed, guzzled and gone. After backyard barbecues, college keggers and tailgating parties, those ubiquitous red cups usually end up in a landfill.

Entrepreneur Priya Mittal says that needs to change.

"The red Solo cup is made out of number six plastic, which is chemically identical to styrofoam and extremely toxic for the environment," said Priya.

The Brown University student and her business partner believe they have a solution: the "Fette" cup.

"Fette is a sustainability-minded organization, basically aimed at replacing the traditional red Solo cup with 100 percent compostable cup," she explained.

Priya says the cups break down in about two months.

"Fette cups are actually made out of corn, so they are entirely plant-based," she said.

So how did all of this get started?

"One day, we're actually walking through campus to get to our fellowship meeting and saw greens just filled and covered with these red Solo cups, trash cans overflowing, and came to realization that, one, these weren't sustainable, but two, that something needed to be done," she said.

The company launched late last year, and Priya says business has been encouraging.

The cups are being sold in stores near Brown University and at other college campuses around the Northeast.

And for the two partners, this brand goes beyond sustainability.

"For us, it's really about brand identity, where when you hold a Fette cup, you know that you care about the environment, that you're supporting 100% female-founded and female-led venture, you're supporting a founder like myself who is a person of color, my co-founder who is a queer founder," Priya said.

And as the name suggests, it is not all business.

"Fette in French means party, and Confetti is funfetti. Fetty Wap is a really popular singer. And all of that just means having a good time to us."

It will cost more to go green, though. Fifty Fette cups cost $10, and 50 red Solo cups cost $6.