Why Do Coffee Shops Use Paper Cups?

Typical paper coffee cups used at coffee shops across the country have negative effects on the environment. Stores persist in using cups made from 100 percent bleached virgin paperboard even though cups made from recycled products exist.

FDA Rules

• The Food and Drug Administration has strict regulations on products used for food and drink that are made from or use recycled materials. This makes it expensive for companies to construct and distribute recycled products such as coffee cups on a large scale.

Concerns with Durability

• Cups made of recycled materials are not dependable. Cups made from post-consumer materials, which is essentially recycled paper pulp, have been used for hot beverages in the past. However, these cups were far too flimsy to hold hot beverages. Some companies, such as Starbucks, use a cup made with 10 percent post-consumer material, but anything beyond this seems unsustainable. To avoid customer dissatisfaction, coffee shops opt to use traditional paper cups coated in polyethylene, which makes these paper cups nonrecyclable.

Alternative Methods

• To avoid filling landfills with nondisposable, nonrecyclable coffee cups, coffee drinkers have options to enjoy their favorite beverage while actively preserving the environment. Bringing cups or travel mugs from home or previously used paper cups to your neighborhood coffee shop allows you to get your caffeine fix without wasting new cups.