Disposable cups have become a norm for our busy lifestyles. Whether you are needing coffee or soup, a paper cup let’s us keep up with our schedules while still being able to enjoy foods and beverages. Almost one-third of the population drinks coffee occasionally with the average person consuming 1.64 cups per day making paper cups for hot coffee extremely convenient. Soup is popular as well with more than 10 billion bowls being eaten each year meaning a convenient portable way of eating soup can benefit, especially in the winter time. With so much coffee and soup being consumed, it only makes sense that disposable cups are beneficial. With that being said you may wonder what the difference is between paper and plastic when it comes to hot soup containers and coffee cups. Read below to see the differences between these two materials.
Biodegradable
Paper cups for hot beverages are biodegradable. This means that over time they break down. This is beneficial for the cups that get thrown out and wind up in the landfills. The paper ones will eventually break down over years, but plastic cups take much longer to do so. While the difference is not immediate, paper cups do biodegrade faster than plastic.
Design
Many companies opt to put their logo, brand or even name on their cups and bowls especially for take out customers. Adding these things is much easier on a paper cup compared to adding it to a plastic cup. If company logos or information is important, paper is the better choice.
Consumer Friendly
It’s no secret that many are concerned about the environment and care about it. This leads others to making informed decisions when it comes to purchasing hot food and beverage containers. Consumers are looking for products that will not harm the environment and paper is just that. Consumers are aware of the impact of plastic vs. paper, and are willing to go to an establishment that offers paper, even if it’s a little further or out of the way than another establishment.
Recycling
Just as paper cups seem to be more consumer friendly, they are also much easier to recycle. The fact that it’s easier to recycle them could probably contribute to the fact that they are recycled more than plastic. The ease of recycling them could also be what makes them a more popular choice for consumers.
As you can see, paper cups and bowls for hot beverages are a better choice, and consumers seem to agree. Whether you are serving coffee or soup paper containers allow them to purchased and transported with ease, while still displaying company information. Once done, the containers can be recycled making the consumer feel better knowing they are helping the environment. When it comes to paper and plastic the smarter choice for businesses and consumers seems to be paper.