पेपर कप बनाम प्लास्टिक कप

Paper vs plastic[edit]

A life cycle inventory of a comparison of paper vs plastic cups shows environmental effects of both with no clear winner.^[20]

Polyethylene (PE) is a petroleum-based coating on paper cups that can slow down the process of biodegrading of the paper it coats.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable bio-plastic coating used on some paper cups. PLA is a renewable resource and is certified compostable, which means that when it biodegrades, it does not leave behind any toxic residues.^[21] Although PLA-lined cups are the only paper cups which can be composted fully, they can contaminate the waste stream, reportedly making other recycled plastics unsaleable.^[22]

All paper cups can only be recycled at a specialised treatment facility regardless of the lining.^[23]

A number of cities – including Portland, Oregon — have banned XPS foam cups in take-out and fast food restaurants.^[24]