Paper cups can be just as harmful as plastic cups.
This is shown by a new study from the University of Gothenburg.
– In all three cases we saw a higher mortality, says Bethanie Carney Almroth, professor at the department of biology and environmental science at the University of Gothenburg.
On January 1, 2022, single-use plastic items were banned. In many cafes, workplaces and shops, the products were replaced with similar articles in cardboard instead.
Maybe you should think again.
According to the research study from the University of Gothenburg, the paper cup can do just as much damage to living organisms as a plastic cup. The researchers tested the effect of disposable cups in different materials on the larvae of the butterfly mosquito.
– In all three cases we saw a higher mortality and that they developed differently. They did not go through all their developmental stages and suffered developmental damage to their jaws, around the mouth and teeth, says Professor Carney Almroth.
Contains thousands of chemicals
Mugs made only of cardboard do not hold liquids. Therefore, the paper cups are coated with a type of bioplastic to hold. This is where the chemicals are mainly found.
– The cups we use have a plastic layer on the inside, a type of plastic called PLA, which is bio-based. It can be seen as a better choice from a resource perspective. It is not made from fossil fuels but usually made from renewable alternatives such as corn or sugarcane. But all its materials contain thousands of chemicals and many can be toxic.
Paper cups are not the only chemical culprit we humans are exposed to.
– Food packaging is one of the biggest. But also clothes, textiles and building materials. If we drink coffee out of a paper cup every day, it can accumulate over time. The chemicals leach from the material into what we eat.
Instead, Carney Almroth thinks that one should strive not to use single-use products at all.
– You can drink your coffee out of a cup. Then we will move away from this use/throw economy to a more circular economy with reuse.