Which Is Better For Drinking Water From A Paper Cup Or A Plastic Cup?

1. Classification of disposable cups

Disposable cups on the market are mainly divided into paper cups and plastic cups according to the materials used.

1.1 Disposable paper cups

Disposable paper cups are made from raw paper made of wood pulp. Because paper easily softens and deforms when exposed to water, a waterproof coating is generally added to the inner wall of the paper cup. There are two coating materials: edible paraffin and polyethylene. (PE), the corresponding cups are called waxed paper cups and PE coated paper cups, respectively.

Waxed paper cups

According to the national standard GB 1886.26-2016, the melting point of food-grade paraffin used for paper cup coating is between 52 and 68°C. Filling hot water will cause the wax layer to melt. This kind of cup is only suitable for holding cold water, not hot water..​

Don’t think that melted paraffin means it is poisonous. After all, it is a food-grade paraffin. Ingesting a small amount is not a big problem (eating too much is certainly not good). In fact, the result of the wax layer melting is that the paper cup softens and deforms when exposed to water, which is what we don't want to see.

Waxed paper cups are now very rare on the market!

PE coated paper cup

PE coated paper cups are coated with a layer of food-grade polyethylene (PE) film on the surface of the paper cup, which is called coated paper.

Because polyethylene (PE) is a safe chemical substance, the national standard GB 4806.6-2016 allows the use of polyethylene as a paper cup coating, and the melting point of PE is about 120°C - 140°C, so coated paper cups can also be used for packaging hot water.

PE coated paper cups are divided into single-layer coated cups and double-layer coated cups:

Single-layer coated cups are coated only on the inside of the paper cup;

​Double-layer coated cup, the inside and outside of the paper cup are coated;

​The main difference between the two is holding cold drinks. We all know that pre-cooling water vapor will condense into small water droplets, so there will be a layer of water droplets on the outside of the cup for cold drinks. If it is a single-layer coated cup, there is no PE film on the outside of the paper cup. Yes, it will absorb water and then become soft and deformed, which will affect the use of the paper cup, so the double layer is better.

1.2 Disposable plastic cups

Disposable plastic cups are very common in daily life. The main materials are PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), and PS (polystyrene).

PET is the most common. Most mineral water bottles are made of PET. It cannot hold hot water and will deform;

​PP, resistant to high temperatures, can be used as microwave utensils to hold hot water, which is a trivial matter;

PS, it is as translucent as glass, so it is not suitable for filling water, nor is it suitable for holding sour things such as orange juice;

​therefore, only plastic cups made of PP are suitable for holding hot water, while those made of PET and PS are only suitable for cold water.

How to identify what kind of material a plastic cup is made of? You can follow the triangular sign with an arrow on the bottom of the cup. There is usually a number on the bottom of the cup. 1 represents PET, 5 represents PP, and 6 represents PS. There is an easier way, just ask customer service directly.

What material is better for disposable drinking cups, paper or plastic?

From all aspects, PP plastic disposable water cups are better.

Paper cups are only made of paper. The part that actually comes into contact with the liquid is either a wax coating or a PE film layer, which is also plastic. The food plastic PP material will be better.