Plastic cup

A plastic cup is a cup made out of plastic. It is most commonly used as a container to hold beverages. Some are reusable while others are intended for a single use followed by recycling or disposal.

Distinguishing features

Plastic cups come in a variety of colours, textures and sizes.

Uses

Plastic cups are often used for gatherings where it would be inconvenient to wash dishes afterward, due to factors such as location or number of guests. Plastic cups can be used for storing most liquids, but hot liquids may melt or warp the material.

Environmental issues

Most plastic cups are designed for single uses and then disposal or recycling. A life cycle inventory of a comparison of paper and plastic shows environmental effects of both with no clear winner.

Production of one metric ton of plastic cup emits 135 pounds of green house gases.

The choice between paper cups and plastic cups resides in the life of the such after use. A paper cup may biodegrade faster than a Styrofoam cup or a plastic cup. In general cardboard or paper takes 1 to 3 months for biodegradation as the majority of the content, up to 95%, is made with wood chips. As for a plastic cup it can take up to 90 years, depending on the type of plastic.