The Hidden Truth About Green Plastic Cups: Separating Myth from Reality

Greenwashing? The truth is that very few compostable cups ever get composted because commercial composting programs are hard to come by or can be expensive. Commercial composters in at least one state have actually published a report on why they don’t want compostable packaging and serviceware ending up in their facilities at all. Only accept yard trimmings and similar organic refuse.

The reason is that compostable bioplastic items, which are chemically modified, often don’t result in the kind of nutrient-rich soils desired for gardening or farming. In theory, these materials should break down anaerobically to release methane, a greenhouse gas about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. However, another study found that PLA sometimes doesn’t break down at all in a landfill, meaning that cups, straws, and other items marketed as compostable wind up in the trash but don’t actually compost there either.

The former are a viable solution to our overconsumption of single-use items while the latter is simply not sustainable. It’s reported by LiveScience website what exactly happens to compostable materials when they end up in landfills is up for debate. And it highlights the unintended consequences that occur when the all-important concepts of REDUCE and Reuse are ignored in favor of jumping straight to recycle or compost.

Compostable cups may seem like an easy solution, but the devil is always in the details. If they end up in a landfill, it could take 100 years or more before they eventually break down, if at all. If put into recycling bins, which they almost always are, they actually contaminate the recycling process.

And unfortunately, those compostable cups, typically made from corn starch, that beer pourers or festival volunteers brag about are only helpful if they get collected separately from garbage or recycling and sent to a commercial composting facility. Practically every brewery that serves beer for outdoor consumption or pours samples at a festival in disposable cups is contributing to the mountain of single-use waste that’s piling up every year.

As for the other plastic culprit in craft beer – festival and beer garden cups – that presents another problem, and one that’s not as easily solved or avoided. Much has been written about the problems associated with packaging beer in those flimsy plastic film six-pack rings or rigid snap-on can carriers, neither of which are curbside recyclable.

In conclusion, green plastic cups may seem like an eco-friendly solution, but they often end up in landfills, contaminate recycling processes, and contribute to the growing problem of single-use waste. It’s time for breweries and festival organizers to take a closer look at their packaging options and consider more sustainable alternatives.

Green plastic cups