For Chinese people, drinking hot water is almost ingrained in their genes. However, many experts have pointed out issues with using disposable paper cups for hot water. Recently, a research team suggested through experimental data that “drinking three cups of hot water from disposable paper cups could potentially cause reproductive and metabolic damage.”
The outer layer of a paper cup is ordinary paper, while the inner layer of a typical disposable paper cup is coated with polyethylene (PE). When the hydrophobic PE coating inside the cup comes into contact with hot water, it releases a large amount of microplastics. Microplastics, which are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter, are a major carrier of pollution. As people drink, these microplastics accumulate in the body. Additionally, during the hot-melt or coating process, the PE may oxidize into carbonyl compounds, which can emit an odor when hot water is poured into the cup.
In contrast, our company’s polylactic acid (PLA) disposable paper cups use PLA-coated paper, with the inner coating also made of PLA. This makes them safe, non-toxic, and harmless to use. PLA is a biodegradable material made from fermented crops like corn, rather than plastic. The production process of PLA is pollution-free, and it can biodegrade, achieving a natural cycle in the environment. It is an ideal green polymer material.
For those who have concerns and doubts about using traditional disposable paper cups, eSUN PLA-coated disposable paper cups do not have these issues and can be used with confidence.
