There is a growing need for various kinds of disposable glasses like plastic, paper, bio-plastic, and so on, particularly in the medical and/or dental industry with a different cost.
As manufacturers, we have been evaluating raw materials and manufacturing procedures for some time.
Making throwaway cups out of paper, which is a common raw material, seems like a decent idea.
In actuality, paper cups are often advertised and sold under the pretense that they are compostable, recyclable, and even "organic.
" However, this is not wholly supported by the evidence, since paper cups never completely lack any trace of plastics, even when engineered to be so.
In actuality, paper cups have an inside plastic covering that prevents the paper from coming into contact with the liquid contained within the cup.
This layer accounts for around five percent of their total weight, which results in an increase in energy consumption and CO2 emissions during the production process.
Paper cups are often rejected by recycling facilities and sent to landfills because separating paper from plastic is complex, time-consuming, and very costly.
Consequently, paper cups are commonly discarded.
The legislative restrictions that have been introduced throughout Europe are a further element to consider.
These laws impose stringent limits on the use of recycled paper fiber in goods designated for food contact (packaging, but also plates and glasses).
Paper cups weigh twice as much as conventional plastic cups and, as a consequence, have an impact on the environment when they are delivered.
Cups made from corn, bamboo, or sugar cane are examples of biodegradable plastic cups.
This approach looks to be the best choice in theory since it delivers an ecologically friendly solution that is comparable to the traditional one.
In comparison to the production and use of conventional plastics, bioplastics provide a variety of benefits that are better not just in terms of the amount of energy needed, but also in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created.
The use of chemical compounds and fertilizers in the cultivation of vital renewable raw resources, in addition to the use of land and water for agricultural purposes, has a considerable detrimental impact on the environment.
This includes the environmental impact of transporting the required biomasses for its manufacture.
In general, biodegradable plastic, which is often created from PLA and is generated from corn or sugar cane, is completely compostable and can be disposed of without leaving any sign of trash behind.
In reality, certain environmental conditions are required for the proper execution of this technique.
If we dispose of a PLA cup in a landfill, it is quite unlikely that we would recover anything; instead, PLA should be thrown in composting facilities.
The temperatures that are often reached in household composting systems are insufficient to promote decomposition.
In addition, consumers and recycling facilities are unable to distinguish between PLA and traditional plastics owing to their similarity.
