Most people used to consider it that way. By replacing plastic with paper, the coffee cup you have this morning has become a little more eco-friendly. 

That strategy is also taken by the business sector with the aim of “being more responsible for the environment”. 

⁉️ But by only replacing plastic with paper, are environmental issues solved thoroughly? 

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Dien - Centre of Polymer Composite and Paper - School of Chemical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology : The paper cups used for drinking are covered by a layer of polyethylene or organic polymer ( a thin layer of plastic) for waterproof. 

🔍 Due to the variations in materials used for the production of paper cups, paper cups cannot be handled as normal paper. The recycling process meets many difficulties because the inner plastic layer needs to be separated - a complicated and costly step. According to the report from the British government about the responsibilities of packaging manufacturers, only approximately 2.8% of single-use paper cups and similar products are recycled. This means that out of 100 cups used, barely 3 are recycled. 

🏭To meet the demand for the use of paper cups in a year, the world consumes around 206 millions trees along with 290 billions litres of water. The production and transportation release large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, at the same time a considerable amount of resources. All factors mentioned contributed to creating harmful impacts on the environment and the ecosystem. 

🚨Besides that, research from the Institute of Technology of India also shows that the plastic layer of paper cups also have direct impacts on human health. When a paper cup holds 100ml of hot water in 15 minutes ( the average time taken to drink a cup of coffee), the result shows that 25,000 microplastic are created along with metals like zinc, lead, and chromium. These properties directly enter the human body, the danger level is evaluated as dangerous as when using single use plastic. 

The above statistic indicates that replacing plastic with paper does not address any issues related to the environment and human health. 

At this point, probably the question is not as simple as “whether to choose plastic cups or paper cups?”, but is whether we really need a single use cup for a drink that only lasts a few minutes. Meanwhile, that same cup can take many decades and even hundreds of years to decompose completely after being thrown away. 

🤔Imagine if someday your favourite cafe started giving discounts to customers who bring reusable cups or water bottles, would you be willing to change your habits?

So what can we do in order to protect the environment and our well being?

You can start by changing your behavior in small details: start bringing your own water bottle or reusable cups when buying drinks. 

According to the UN environmental program, instead of focusing on recycling, the action of using less single-use products from the beginning is much more effective. The report from Ellen MacArthur Fund also indicates that reusing models are one of the most essential ways to diminish waste and plastic pollution.

🌱 Reusable cups can be reused hundreds of times and can replace hundreds of years of decomposition of a single-use cup.

💬 Bringing reusable cups or cups could be a practical alternative. What do you think? Are there any other solutions that are convenient but still help in reducing the amount of single-use waste? Comment below!