PLA Lined Biodegradable Coffee Cups Made of

Most people think that disposable coffee cups are made of 100% paper. Not entirely true. While the main ingredient of a coffee cup is paper which forms the walls and base of the cup, it is no ordinary paper. It is actually lined with a coat of plastic which prevents hot liquid from penetrating through the cup and turning it useless. 

Traditionally, disposable coffee cups were used by hospitals where maintaining personal hygiene and stopping the transfer of germs through shared utensils was of utmost importance. However, with an increasing takeaway culture the concept spread to fast food chains like McDonalds. Disposable coffee cups were useful since the customer could carry their drink outside and consume it at their own pace. 

Coffee cups are traditionally lined with PE (Polyethylene), which is a petrochemical based coating of plastic used to prevent leakage in a disposable paper cup. PE plastics are made of oil which is generated from a non-renewable resource, fossils. In addition, extraction of oil leads to environmental degradation. Processes such as fracking (using high water pressure to extract oil from the deepest pools of Earth) has been a primary cause of groundwater pollution upon which many communities depend and acts as their source of drinking water. 

Although PE is a recyclable material, most coffee cups end up in landfills and are never recycled. Also, very few waste management companies specialize in recycling coffee cups as they need to separate the plastic lining from paper in order to successfully recycle. 

Weller Pack, we can do PE,PP,PLA lined. if you need salad bowl,soup cups,fried chicken bucket,coffee cups with PLA coated, feel free to contact me.