3 Interesting Facts About Paper Coffee Cups
The paper coffee cup has almost all but replaced foam cups in many parts of the country. In New York City, a law passed in 2015 banned the use of foam food containers within city limits. Elsewhere, local and state leaders have taken steps to reduce the use of foam products by encouraging businesses to switch to alternatives.
Here at Galaxie Coffee, we are big fans of paper coffee cups. Our customers are too. In light of all that the paper coffee cup has done to reduce the amount of foam going into landfills, we thought it might be interesting to discuss three facts about paper coffee cups a lot of people don’t know.
1. They used to be sealed with clay or wax
Paper drinking cups have been around for quite a while. In fact, their roots can be traced back to the early 1900s and high rates of infection among schoolchildren and train station passengers who used community cups. The obvious need to put an end to those infections gave us single-use paper cups.
The first single-use paper cup was developed at the turn of the 20th century. Its success led to the Dixie cup’s introduction in 1908. Back then, paper cups were sealed with clay in order to make them waterproof.
Unfortunately, clay distorted the flavor of the beverage being consumed. It also caused problems with condensation on the exterior, leading manufacturers to transition to wax. Wax solved the flavor problem quite nicely. However, it didn’t do much for the condensation problem. So manufacturers kept looking for a better sealant.
2. They are now sealed with PE
Manufacturers eventually hit on the idea of sealing paper cups with a thin layer of polyethylene (PE). Because polyethylene is a plastic, it makes the inside of the cup waterproof and prevents significant condensation on the exterior. PE also holds up better than both wax and clay against hot liquids. Indeed, polyethylene paved the way for paper coffee cups that were unheard of before it was introduced.
As a side note, a new sealant was introduced in Finland in 2017. It is fully compostable and decomposes much more quickly than polyethylene. It also does not contaminate the recycling stream so there is no problem throwing paper coffee cups coated with this sealant in with other recyclable products.
3. They are often made with recycled paper
Finally, single-use paper coffee cups are often made from recycled paper. Manufacturers prefer virgin paper for any cup with a surface that comes in direct contact with food or liquid, but that’s not an issue for coffee cups sealed with polyethylene. That makes recycled paper a more attractive option.
Paper coffee cups are just one of the many products we provide customer throughout the greater New York area. For a complete list of our products and services, give us a call. One of our customer service representatives would be more than happy to discuss your office coffee needs with you.
Being eco-friendly these days is about more than just driving a compact car and paying attention to the thermostat. It is about doing whatever we can to save energy and reduce waste at the same time. Many companies in the greater New York area are doing their part by upgrading their break rooms with eco-friendly paper products.
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