Paper cups are widely used to consume coffee, tea or any beverage. The reason for their popularity is the myth that paper cups are eco-friendly. Most of us think that paper cups are just made of paper. Let us pause and reflect if paper cups were only made of paper, would it be able to hold liquid ? No! Paper cups are lined with polyethylene (plastic) that functions as a moisture barrier.

A research by IIT Kharagpur gives evidence of microplastic contamination in the hot beverage (tea, coffee etc. ) consumed from disposable paper cups. The research quotes: “A person drinking three cups of tea in disposable paper cups will end up ingesting 75,000 tiny microplastic particles”. Not only these, these microplastics also act as carriers for contaminants like ions, toxic heavy metals such as Palladium, Chromium, Cadmium, Lead etc. When human beings ingest these heavy and toxic metals, the health consequences could be as serious as cancer.
Although it seems safe to drink cold water in paper cups, we must think twice before using them as paper cups are the largest litter waste product only outdone by plastic bottles.

Let us discuss solutions now:
1. We can easily carry our own bottle, glass/ cup for ourselves and our family while traveling, visiting public places or during any outdoor visits.
2. While organizing any function at home, we can use steel/ glass cutlery if we have enough or borrow it from neighbors/ friends, if possible
3. While organizing functions at large scale, we can rent steel cutlery as there are many organizations which provide cutlery on rent at a certain rate.
4. Organizations/ Apartments can also invest in steel cups/ glasses. This one-time investment can serve both the purposes of saving our health and avoiding littering.

For more info, visit or contact Eco_Margdarsak (Insta: @eco_margdarsak)