Disposable cups. Paper or plastic? The million-dollar question!
Disposable cups are ubiquitous in the 21st century. They have come a long way since their invention in the early years of the last century. The two main materials used to make them are paper and plastic. Disposable cups come in handy when one needs to drink on the go without the hassle of cleaning up.
But because both types of cups have their own ups and downs, it's hard to decide which one is better for the environment overall. While both are good for saving water by eliminating the need to wash reusable cups, a number of other factors involved in the production of these cups can have an impact on the environment.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISPOSABLE CUPS
The paper cup began its odyssey in the last century. The famous Dixie cup, perhaps the most famous brand of disposable paper cup in the United States, was invented by Lawrence Luellen in 1907. But what made people switch from glass or ceramic cups to the ever-so-useful paper cups?
At the dawn of the 20th century, it was fairly common practice to drink from communal glasses at public water sources such as public faucets or water barrels on trains. As might be expected, this kind of sharing of cups was a source of public health concern. Lawrence Luellen, a lawyer in Boston, Massachusetts, was the first to address the issue.
The paper cup, which he invented, was the standard for disposable cups until the 1970s, when the Solo Cup, with its distinctive red color, appeared. Since then, these red plastic cups have become very popular. It is worth noting in particular that they found great use at parties where the alcohol flowed.
Today, both types of cups are quite common all over the world. But the question of which one is better for the environment is debatable. The research on the matter can be confusing, but let's try to sort through it all today and figure out whether paper or plastic is better for the world.
PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Over the past few decades, there have been major changes in the production of paper and plastics, not just in the production of cups, but of all items. According to the EPA, paper production has skyrocketed by more than 300 percent from 1960 to 2007. Plastics production has shot up over 7,000 percent in the same time.
But while the production of both of these items requires large amounts of energy, the environmental impact goes even further. In 2007, more than 1 million tons of paper were used for cups and plates. Almost all of it was simply thrown away and left in landfills. At the same time, more than 800 000 tonnes of plastic plates and cups were produced, most of which also end up in landfill.
RECYCLING OF DISPOSABLE CUPS
The main advantage of paper cups is biodegradability. Paper disposable cups decompose quickly but the same cannot be said for plastic cups. On the contrary, their impact on landfills is a major problem. Indeed, a huge number of them are produced.
This means that both of these cups can be made from recycled materials, which is very good for the environment. It's a better choice for the ecology of the earth than those that are made from typical materials. These recycled materials save a great deal of energy and material by not having to source basic raw materials.
Recycling disposable cups can also reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfills. Today, most residents already have access to recycling programs in some form. These include recycling containers or collection yards. Difficult access to recycling options leads to people simply throwing these cups away and the cups ending up in landfills.
For most consumers, these environmental aspects are usually outweighed by the money saved when buying paper and plastic cups. As well as being very convenient to use, buying them in bulk also means paying a few pennies for each cup. Since no one wants to risk breaking cups or glasses when on the go, the popularity of disposable cups is even higher.
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
So far, the main difference between paper cups and plastic cups is biodegradability. But to figure out the most environmentally friendly option, we need to explore their "life cycle assessment". In other words, we need to consider a range of potential environmental impacts, including carbon footprint, ozone depletion, global warming impacts, harmful chemicals and resource consumption problems that these cups can cause. What is usually overlooked nowadays is that polystyrene is also a form of plastic. When examining any life cycle assessment of these cups, plastic cups do not cause much more of a burden to the world's ecology than a paper cup. On the contrary, the carbon footprint of a plastic cup is actually smaller than that of a paper cup and even requires less energy during the manufacturing process.
ARE PLASTIC CUPS ACTUALLY A BETTER ALTERNATIVE?
We must also take into account that, as mentioned, polystyrene takes much longer to break down. This highlights how ultimately our consumer choices depend on what is most important to each of us. If your main concern is reducing waste or pollution, it's a good idea to avoid plastic cups, even if their carbon footprint is actually lower.
A recent study from the Netherlands is a wonderful example of how similar the environmental impact of paper and plastic cups is when all factors are properly considered. This study looked at a full ten categories of the environmental impact of both types of cups. According to the results of this study, paper cups were better in five categories and plastic cups were better in the other five categories.
When comparing cup production, plastic cups: required about 17 percent less energy, used about 42 percent less water, and used 22 percent less oil to collect materials and transport the cups.
So the choice is really yours. Plastic cups are better suited for cold drinks. Paper cups are ideal for hot drinks. For maximum efficiency and satisfaction, we recommend a combination of both.
