Ceramic Mugs Vs Paper Cups

Everyday einstein answers a reader question about environmental responsibility.

Ceramic mugs vs paper cups.

Paper cup 4 fig 8 relative indicator results for every cup type per impact category 13 fig 9 influence of the different processes on the use of a ceramic mug 13 fig 10 influence of the different on the washing of a ceramic mug 14 fig 11 relative lcia results for the different cups per impact category. Ceramic cups are also a good alternative but it will take more uses for them to become more environmentally friendly than disposable cups as few as 15. As mentioned in the essential answer you only need to use your ceramic mug or plastic cup a handful of times to break even with the industry standard cup in terms of environmental impact. A canadian study at the university of victoria compared the energy usage in manufacturing reusable cups with that of disposable cups.

It is sometimes referred to as a quality difference but it might be better to call it a suitability difference. The material you settle on will have an impact on your coffee s flavor. Your friend s skepticism aside you really only need to use a ceramic mug about 18 times or a plastic mug eight times to break even with a paper cup in terms of water use energy and waste. Classic ceramic tin styrofoam glass plastic paper and stainless steel.

While manufacturing a ceramic cup took more energy than manufacturing a paper cup the energy per use for a paper cup remained constant because they are thrown away after one use. The suitability of both porcelain mugs and ceramic mugs greatly depends on the situation in which they will be used. Creating a reusable ceramic mug requires more energy than the making of a disposable paper cup. Plastic metal and ceramic.

Here s a look at how plastic stainless steel and ceramic coffee mugs impact a brew s taste. These plastic cups contain less plastic than the tumbler i use but even doubling. On the other hand a paper cup is temporary and disposable most likely used in new environments or unique. The types we tested are.

Each use after that means more environmental savings and less garbage. Taste is just one factor you ll want to consider when selecting a mug. This post however will focus solely on. We filled each mug with boiling water 212 and then waited half an hour to see how.

So does bringing my own reusable mug really help the environment if i have to replace it every few months. There are three main options. Mugs hanging around your office tend to be used on average 50 times. 750 uses but only 250 washings.