Does using paper containers really help protect the environment?

I. Introduction.

Currently, many campaigns promote the use of paper cups and paper containers
instead of plastic-based products in order to reduce plastic waste and protect the
environment. These campaigns are implemented by many brands and systems to
spread environmental messages. However, there is still debate over whether such
campaigns are truly effective. This paper compares the production process,
biodegradability, and recyclability of paper and plastic cups to evaluate their
environmental impact.

II. Body
1. Conventional perspectives on the superiority of paper cups compared to
plastic cups
a. Plastic packaging is widely used due to its convenience and low cost;
however, its usage may pose adverse effects on both human health and
the environment. (Levchenko et al., 2023)
i. Prolonged use of polymers can initiate the aging process,
potentially leading to the release of toxic compounds
(Levchenko et al., 2023)
ii. Plastics are virtually non-biodegradable, and it is estimated that
around 9 billion tons are discharged into the environment
annually. (Levchenko et al., 2023)
b. Paper-based packaging is regarded as a more sustainable and eco-
friendly solution compared to its plastic counterparts.
i. Paper cups are considered to degrade faster than plastic and can
be reused multiple times. (Almroth et al., 2023b)

However, the environmental friendliness of paper cups is, in fact, a

product of greenwashing campaigns aimed at promoting paper-based
products. (Viera et al., 2020)

2. When considering the production process:

a. In terms of materials, paper cups are not necessarily superior to plastic
cups.
i. According to van der Harst and Potting (2014), after evaluating
the production processes of both materials, it is shown that
paper cups do not exhibit a clear superiority over plastic cups.
(Almroth et al., 2023)
ii. The primary raw material for paper is wood pulp, which raises
concerns about deforestation and environmental issues.
(Almroth et al., 2023)
 iii. Paper cups are coated with PLA or PE to enhance water
resistance; however, these substances can leach harmful
chemicals into the environment, comparable to traditional
plastic cups. (Lee et al., 2017)

b. In terms of the production process, comparing energy and resource

consumption involved in manufacturing both types shows that neither
is clearly better.
i. The paper production process involves the use of harmful
chemicals such as chlorine and its compounds, releasing toxic
substances into the environment, thereby contributing to water
and soil pollution. (Suraj & Khan, 2015)
ii. The production of an equivalent amount of product in the paper
industry requires approximately twice the energy and water
compared to plastic manufacturing. (Suraj & Khan, 2015)

c. In summary, from a production standpoint, paper cups are not more

environmentally friendly and even raise several concerns.

3. When considering biodegradability:

a. Despite claims of using organic materials, the presence of a plastic
lining in paper cups hinders their complete biodegradation in natural
environmental conditions.
i. PLA, the most biodegradable material used, can only
decompose under industrial treatment and shows almost no
degradation under natural conditions. (Arumugam et al., 2017)

b. Compared to plastic cups, although paper cups reduce plastic content

slightly, they don’t solve the problem thoroughly.
i. UNEP reports that the by-products of biodegradable plastics
may pose equal or greater risks to biodiversity and ecosystem
functions than conventional plastics. (Yang et al., 2023)
ii. Microplastics (MPs) derived from PLA exhibit toxicity
comparable to those from conventional plastics. (Yang et al.,
2023)

c. Conclusion: Clearly, it is premature to conclude that biodegradable

single-use paper cups (SUPCs) are a better alternative to conventional
SUPCs, in terms of both human health and environmental impact.
(Yang et al., 2023)

4. When considering reusability and recyclability:

a. Reusability
 - Both types of cups are mostly single-use.
- However, plastic cups can be washed and reused in certain
cases for decoration or other purposes, while paper cups cannot
therefore, there’s no significant difference in the amount of
waste generated.
- Plastic Cups
+ Reusable plastic cups (usually made from
polypropylene - PP) need to be used multiple times to
offset the environmental impact of their production and
cleaning.
+ For example, in Copenhagen, reusable plastic cups need
to be used at least 8–10 times to have an environmental
advantage over single-use paper cups.
+ Reusability Benefits: Reusable plastic cups, such as
those made from polypropylene (PP), can significantly
reduce environmental impacts when used multiple
times. For instance, using a PP cup 500 times can
lower climate impact by up to 69% compared to single-
use paper cups that are landfilled.
- Paper Cups
+ In some cases, paper cups can be reused as decorative
items, but this is not common — therefore, paper cups
do not make a significant difference in the amount of
waste generated.
+ Paper cups are typically designed for single use and are
not suitable for reuse because they are easily damaged
and lose their waterproof properties after the first use.
+ PA (polyamide) is the material with the lowest
biodegradation performance and is the easiest to
recycle. However, it affects the quality of the paper, and
the recycling efficiency does not reach 100%.
+ Reusing paper cups (by washing and using again)
results in higher emissions due to increased energy and
water consumption during the washing process —
which also weakens the material.

b. Recyclability
- Plastic cups can be recycled if properly handled. Paper cups are
harder to recycle due to the combination of paper and plastic
layers, making it difficult to process into new materials.
- Plastic cups
+ It depends on the type of plastic: Cups made from
polypropylene (PP – Polypropylene, resin identification
 code 5) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET –
Polyethylene Terephthalate, resin identification code 1)
can be recycled if they are properly cleaned and sorted.
- Paper cups
+ The lining of paper cups is mainly made from materials
that are difficult to recycle, such as PE, PLA, and PA,
because these coatings do not break down during
standard paper recycling processes.
+ Among them, PA has the best recyclability; however,
there are still Residual Polyacrylate Flakes (RPF) that
cannot be fully removed.
+ Plastic coatings hinder recycling: Most paper cups are
coated with a layer of polyethylene (PE) for
waterproofing, which makes recycling difficult as it
requires specialized technology to separate the coating.
+ The plastic layer does not break down in water or under
shear forces, making paper cups very difficult to recycle
with other types of paper.
+ Studies on paper cups—particularly on the plastic/film
lining—have shown that paper cups are typically coated
with polyethylene (PE) or polylactic acid (PLA), both
of which are hydrophobic and do not dissolve or
degrade in water or under mechanical shear during
standard paper recycling processes.
+ When placed in a pulper (a machine that breaks paper
down into pulp), this plastic layer does not dissolve and
is instead rejected as waste (known as hole screen
rejects). It cannot be completely separated from the
paper base using conventional methods.

c. Conclusion: Switching to paper cups does not significantly reduce

environmental waste and makes recycling and reuse more difficult,
extending the material’s lifecycle.
- Although paper is a natural and biodegradable material, paper
cups are coated with a layer of plastic (usually PE or PLA) for
waterproofing. This coating does not break down in water or
under mechanical force, creating significant challenges for
recycling.
- Single-use paper cups still generate a large amount of waste
because they cannot be processed like regular paper. The
 plastic coating must be removed during the initial stages of
recycling, and without specialized treatment, the entire cup is
often discarded as non-recyclable waste.

5. It becomes clear that protecting the environment depends not only on the
material itself but also on how humans use it.
- From the information above, we can see that the solution is not simply
to replace plastic cups with paper ones or vice versa, but to minimize
the usage of single-use products in general.
- A study published in Scientific Reports emphasizes that pro-
environmental behavior, such as reducing the use of single-use
plastics, is influenced by both rational decisions and moral
considerations. The research highlights that merely substituting
materials (e.g., plastic to paper) without addressing consumption
habits does not effectively mitigate environmental issues.

III. Conclusion
While the idea is good in theory, there are practical limitations.
To truly improve and protect the environment, efforts must be made to raise
awareness and reduce the use of single-use products.

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