The
basic concept of a Brisbane paper cup is that it is disposable. Through design, even if
the main material is paper, it was manufactured to be capable of holding liquid
contents (water, soda, coffee, milk, juices, etc.) the cup is to get the drinks
on the go in terms of convenience (from one place to the other) and hygiene.
In
terms of sustainability, these are thought out as sustainable since trees are
responsibly produced (farmed and grown) and conceived to be totally recyclable.
(The number of facilities is still limited, but they can now be recycled.)
.
On
the sanitation side, these products are made to meet the most stringent health,
safety and food hygiene regulations and standards.(The main purpose is to keep
the consumer safe.)
Environment-friendly
These
cups are made of paper in the context that they shall be disposable. In the
advent of everyone being consciousness of the environment and the idea of
pollution, the cup was then thought out to be recyclable and environment-friendly.
The
cup’s design was originally to keep it water-resistant. Liquids are prevented
from leaking out or soaking through the main material made of paper (or those
cellulose materials that are used in making paper).
The
cups used to hold cold drinks are not treated the same way. The reason is water
condensation that forms outside the cup. This soaks into the paper material and
makes it soggy and unstable.
Evolution
A
Finnish company in 2017 launched a new kind of cup that has no wax or plastic
for waterproofing. This breakthrough makes it possible to recycle the cup like
any normal way paper and board are recycled.
The
reports had it that the cup is made of biodegradable materials and can even be
composted in smaller quantities. There also had been a recyclable Brisbane paper cup
made in the UK. It has materials made of polyethylene and mineral-blended
coating. The saving grace is that the engineering makes it recyclable.
Recycling question
There
had been pressure on sourcing with the fact that the paper cups are designed
for single use mainly considering the contamination concerns and regulations.
This is aside from the use of the paper, but these other uses are now
stabilized with recycling.
Currently,
the material sources for paper cups are not able to sustain the demand from all
over the world, considering that the cups are made of 92% wood fiber. However,
paper cups make up only 0.7% of the total paper packaging waste total. Experts deem it still is huge enough to
warrant a recycling solution.
Plastic content
There
is also the question of plastics where the paper cups are coated with
polyethylene. This fact makes it exempt for recycling because of the difficulty
in separating the plastic from the paper part.
Polyethylene
is petroleum-based coating on a paper cup. Unfortunately, it slows down the
process of biodegrading of the paper. The paper, however, is one of the easiest
biodegradable materials in the world. While the paper is easily composted, the
lining is not because it contaminates water streams. This makes it unfit for
use.
