Rethinking Your (disposable) Coffee Cup
November 12, 2009 by San Lo
Filed under Tech & Science
I am sure like me many of you have visited shops or businesses and were scorned when you were served a beverage in a Styrofoam cup! But you will or may be surprised to know that at this point in time that the scorned Styrofoam cup is in fact the most environmentally friendly choice of disposable cup!
How can this be? Quite simply paper cups are not plain paper cups. In order to provide structure to the cup it is constructed of multiple layers of which there will be a layer of plastic or foil which is anything but bio-degradable. If you read the fine print of paper cup manufacturers they will say to check with your local council on whether recycling is available for these plastic or foil layers but the pragmatic truth is it is too hard to strip these layers and paper cups are really currently just not recyclable! [1]
Some manufacturers [1] have started to make paper cups with bio-film as opposed to foil or plastic. In these cases the paper cup is then full compostable or bio-degradable. That said, the commercial existence of these fully bio-degradable cups is next to non-existent but don’t let that stop you asking for one!
In addition, here are more facts on paper cups.
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1. Paper production can cause almost twice as much CO2 emissions and energy consumption as creating plastic or styrofoam products [2]
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2. Paper cups use more material by weight in order to achieve insulation properties as compared to styrofoam and plastic cups [2]. Eg. Starbucks used to serve its coffee in 2 paper cups (double cupping) and now has evolved this practice with its “insulation sleeve”. [3]
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3. The paper cup consumes 12 times as much steam, 36 times as much electricity, and twice as much cooling water as the plastic cup [4]
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4. The paper cup costs 2.5 times more than the plastic cup to produce [4]
The bottom line is the lifecycle costs of disposable cups, comparing paper vs styrofoam or plastic the conclusion is that styrofoam cups are the most environmentally friendly option. [5]
If you have to use disposable cups, then styrofoam is currently the better environmental choice. The best option is to use your own ceramic, steel or glass mug [6].
As always, reducing, reusing and conserving saves far more energy and reduces ecological impact then recycling, which is typically a very energy intensive process.
Interesting post. This “paper vs styrofoam” has raged for years now, and I wouldn’t think one side has won yet. There’s simply too many variables that can change. For instance, what if paper cups were manufactured using alternative energy, certified forests, and were recycled at the end of their lives? That might certainly change the conclusion presented here.
That being said, I think this issue is avoiding the real answer. Imagine an environmentally aware individual trying to decide whether to take the Hummer or the Landrover to work that day, and completely neglecting the bicycle in the closet. We all have reusable coffee cups stashed in our panties. If one is truly concerned about the environmental impact of their coffee cup, I think we all know what the best answer is.
Thanks again for covering a topic that’s near and dear to my heart. Looking forward to the next piece!
Nicko
Director, Sustainability Is Sexy
Well. I agree. and it’s sad that after so many years (some of the research is almost 20 years old) that it appears to Still be the case that styrofoam is the ecological choice (for disposable cups)! It is just wrong?!
tick tock!
i choose steel, cause it’s light weight so you can bring while traveling.
Always pros always cons on all sides! But my main questions would be in relation to their disposal or recycle-ability!
Simple steps to avoid them as much as poss: At work take in a proper mug, Give cheap ceramic mugs to your colleagues. Better on the waistline than sharing cakes, cookies & sweet treats! . I often take my travel mug with me on journeys. If I do use a disposable cup I bring it home & use as handy containers for kids pencils, & general odds n ends,kids can decorate them too. I am on the look out for a smaller lighter stainless steel travel mug & a reasonable cost. If I find one I’ll let you know.