What are the Health & Environmental Benefits of Biodegradable Paper Cups?

With all the talk of coffee cups causing waste, drinking coffee can sometimes sound like an environmental crime. 

But thanks to biodegradable paper cups, the negative perceptions are fading. This paper cup contains plant-based films which are planet-friendly, unlike plastic coatings. 

But for most people, it’s still unclear how the biodegradable paper cup is sustainable. So, this article will dig into biodegradable paper cups’ environmental and health benefits. Stay tuned!

Keep Marine Life Safe

Despite improved disposal, no guarantee coffee cups’ waste won’t stray into the seas. And for any reason, if the trash strays, it shouldn’t harm marine life.

To date, existing plastics in the oceans are causing immense marine life losses. Examples are countless. In 2010, at Seattle, Biologists found over 20 plastic bags and other trash in a dead grey whale. In New England, scientists confirmed a sea turtle had died from ingesting plastic.

The studies reveal the risks of plastic coffee cups prone to straying into the seas. Luckily, biodegradable paper cups may be less risky for the marine. They take less than 90 days to decompose.

Keeping Water Bodies Safe

Studies show Styrofoam, and PE paper cups have toxic chemicals. In 2018, WHO classified styrene in the Styrofoam cups as a cancer-causing compound. 

As a result, states such as Maine, US banned all styrene made containers. Polyethene also carries carcinogenic properties that can get triggered during their breakdown. Or on exposure to UV rays. During the rainfalls, the chemicals can seep into water bodies to risk fish and human lives.

Sadly, polystyrene and polyethene coffee cups are still popular around the globe. Yet, the alternative that’s biodegradable paper cups is chemical-free and safe.

Sound for Future Generations

You’ve heard inspiring stories about couples using coffee for fertility. During pregnancies, a cup of this miraculous drink can help cure grim moods and quell anxiety. What most coffee vendors don’t tell you is that your coffee cup can flush all these benefits down the drain.

For the Styrofoam cup users, in the event of leaks, styrene can cause nausea. Dizziness. Vomiting. Tiredness. Or clumsy motion. And for those trying fertility treatments, using polyethene coffee cups can distract pregnancies.

Don’t worry if you’re using biodegradable paper cups for your coffee. You can drink coffee to increase fertility chances. Or a few cups to tackle pregnancy anxiety or stress.

Less Waste

Biodegradable paper cups came in to fight waste and cut pressure on landfills. Coffee consumption led to an influx of waste into landfills. With the UK people drinking over 95 million cups per day, the waste can be uncontrollable.

As a result, many people wanted a reliable alternative to plastics. Upgrading the coating to PE didn’t help waste because it became difficult to recycle. Yet, with biodegradable paper cups, you can tackle waste problems with minor effort.

Unlike Styrofoam or plastics, bio cups can get recycled or composted. This helps to ensure paper cups get transformed into other useful materials. In turn, fewer coffee cups stream into landfills and the seas. Thus, this encourages waste reduction.

Healthy and Safe for Human Use

We’ve mentioned the potential risks of using plastics or Styrofoam coffee cups. Next, what you need to know is what makes biodegradable paper cups healthy. 

First, biodegradable paper cups derive from food-safe paper and a plant-based coating. As mentioned earlier, they are also chemical-free. This ensures you can use them without fear of any health repercussions.

But to be sure that your coffee cups are genuinely healthy, you must buy from a credible seller. Look for a manufacturer who embraces food safety standards. And confirm if they use PLA films for their coffee cups. 

Affordable and Sustainable for Businesses

As a renewable option, biodegradable paper cups are readily available. They also provide a low-cost alternative to plastics. They use paper and corn starch or sugar bagasse as the raw materials that make them affordable.

While plastics may be slightly cheaper, price shouldn’t be the only reason to use them. Their long term environmental impact can hurt your company’s image. Plus, it’s your responsibility to use products suitable for the environment.

Besides, by using bio paper cups, their benefits will boost your bottom line. You will do the right thing CSR wise while standing in good stead for your customers. This will enable you to stabilise your business and achieve longevity.

Also, most environmental regulations target eliminating plastics for recyclable or compostable options. So, if you’re using bio paper cups, your business won’t stress about compliance.

Conservation of Fossil Fuels

We all know. Drinking coffee from plastic-coated coffee cup puts extra pressures on fossil fuels. Wholly, a plastic coffee cup may contain up to 99% of chemicals from fossils. And for a world that drinks 2 billion cups of coffee per day, imagine the carbon footprint!

Plastic usage causes carbon emissions in their entire life cycle. Petroleum extraction and incineration produce toxic gases which can cause respiratory illness. 

Most importantly, the planet needs some breathing space to prevent global warming. By using biodegradable paper cups, you will help to conserve fossil fuels. This will also slow down atmospheric warming.

Protecting Forests and Preventing Soil Degradation

As much as paper cups are sustainable, sometimes they may exasperate forests’ destruction. Paper cups are primarily made from wood. And that means they may contribute to deforestation.

But here’s something important you need to know about biodegradable paper cups. You must buy them from a credible manufacturer who complies with environmental regulations. 

In the UK, the right vendor abides by the law of forest usage and conservation requirements. This ensures the responsible harvesting of forests and continual tree planting.

What about imported biodegradable paper cups? They don’t risk the UK forests. But they risk global forests and sometimes encourage illegal harvesting of forests. 

For instance, China banned domestic logging. Yet they remain the largest timber importer and paper products’ exporter. Most of their timber comes from developing countries where illegal timbering persists.

Use Biodegradable Paper Cups for the Environment

As seen, biodegradable paper cups present many health and environmental benefits. Sure, you can drink your coffee without worrying about chemicals or pollution. You will use recyclable and compostable coffee cups that are 100% made in the UK.