How to Use Plastic Cups Instead of Foam Cups

Polystyrene foam cups are a popular type of container for hot drinks, particularly in restaurants and home and office environments. Polystyrene foam - not to be confused with Styrofoam, which is a kind of styrene foam used for packing - is an excellent insulator and keeps drinks hot longer than in cups made from other types of materials. Foam cups are also very versatile. Aside from being convenient for disposable hot drinks, people can use them as containers to heat food in the microwave. But according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer in a 2002 study, styrene in foam cups leeching into foods is a potential carcinogenic risk. They also pose an environmental concern: styrene is recyclable, but most urban recycling programs aren't set up to accept it, so it can't be recycled. In landfills, styrene tends to bead instead of degrade, and washes out to sea in bead form, where it becomes a constant threat to marine animals who mistake it for food. And as a final consideration, foam cups also are also quite expensive compared to other kinds of disposable drink cups. These are just some of the many reasons why your business, office or home may want to consider using plastic cups instead of foam.

First, provide alternative heating containers for the microwave. One advantage of styrene cups in public use is that they can be placed in the microwave for short periods of time in order to heat up drinks and food. This is not true of most plastic cups available for personal consumption. Plastic may melt faster in the microwave, or leech carcinogenic toxins into your food. For this reason, when replacing foam cups with plastic cups in your home or restaurant, provide alternatives for microwave heating, such as reusable glass containers.

Secondly, make cup warmers available. These are slip-on covers for disposable cups that keep drinks warm longer and protect users' hands from heated surfaces. Polystyrene cups are thick insulators for any hot drinks they carry. This makes them easy to carry. They also keep hot liquids heated longer than thin plastic, which conducts heat faster. Plastic cups don't do as good a job of insulating heat, so provide reusable cup insulators and holders for your users accustomed to foam cups. These types of holders protect hands when touching the hot surface of the cup, and keep the heat in better for drinks that stay hot longer.

Lastly, educate your home or staff about how to dispose of the new plastic cups properly. Unlike with foam cups, many local recycling centers accept clean plastic cups for recycling. Inform your staff or other users on the proper disposal of plastic cups. Show them how to rinse the cups out first before placing them in the recycling bin. Let everyone know to recycle them instead of throwing them away. And if you're using the cardboard cup insulators, don't forget to recycle those, too!

Plastic cups are an affordable, environmentally-friendlier alternative to styrene foam cups in environments that require disposable cups. With a little foresight and planning, you can swap foam cups out for plastic without inconveniencing the people you serve.