| Most paper cups | oUR CLAY CUPS |
|---|---|
| Materials: timber, water, acids, bleach, fillers, plastic for lining, ink | Materials: clay, water, salt. |
| Need to be recycled | No need for recycling |
| Needs 100 year to decompose | Crash it and is earth! |
The manufacturing of paper cups involves many steps of sourcing, treating and long-distance distribution of raw materials, as well as the use of acids, bleach and plastic. Most paper cups are lined with plastic and therefore too expensive to be recycled, and end up in landfills for hundreds of years. Keep in mind that most products marketed as “compostable” or “biodegradable” requires special processing – again a process that is too expensive and not commonly available.
We use clay – used by humans (and animals) for thousands of years, an abundant natural resource – to manufacture our cups. Other than that, the only additional ingredients are water and salt – they come from the earth and can return to the earth without further processing. Add to that the regional sourcing of raw materials and local cup production and distribution and you’ve got one of the most sustainable cradle-to-grave solutions for single-use cups.
