Further, Unfortunate Facts
About Disposable Paper or Plastic Cups
92% of Plastic Doesn’t Get Recycled
Only 8.7% of plastic actually ends up being repurposed and put back into circulation. What about the other 92.3%? It ends up in either the landfill, an incinerator or overseas.
Source: EPA, March 2021
Half a Trillion Disposable Cups Get Made Every Year
Doing the math, that comes out to 70 cups for every person on the planet, every year!
25 Billion Thrown Away
Americans throw away 25 billion styrofoam cups every year, which are unable to be recycled in most recycling facilities
Recycling Doesn’t Happen As Much As We Think
Disposable paper cups contain 5% polyurethane plastic, making composting and recycling of disposable cups extremely rare
Wax = Terrible
That wax on your paper cup is polyethylene lining and that eliminates your cup from being recycled, thus ending up in the landfill.
Fortunately, Reusable Cups Have Arrived!
Honestly, the most eco-friendly cups are reusable, not disposable.
Euronews.com put together a great list of eco-friendly reusable cups here. There are some really unique and forward-thinking reusable cups included on this list!