Which one is better for the environment?

Question

is it better to use plastic, paper, or styrofoam cups?

Answer 1

I think none of it is good. Not unless you find a way to reuse any one of them.

Anything is eco-friendly as long as you can recycle it.

Answer 2

i would say plastic because if you wanted you could get your own specail plastic cup and use it over and over agian and when finished it can be receycled

Answer 3

None of the above but at least you can wash & reuse plastic.

Answer 4

Styrofoam is not as bad as it used to be.  I still think that you can't go wrong with reusable cups washed with eco-friendly detergent!

Answer 5

Paper for sure.

Yes, you cut down a piece of tree... but that paper can be recycled, or will degrade back into organic material.

The plastic... degrades into basically poison.

The styrofoam is also plastic.

Ideally, you'd drink out of something reusable, like glass (which is 100% recyclable if you break it), or aluminum (like a sports bottle, also 100% recyclable).  I have a set of glasses at my desk for this exact reason.  Almost everyone I know (I live in San Francisco) carries a reusable metal sports bottle everywhere they go.

Remember that even when you recycle, you are still costing energy, which has to come from somewhere; right now primarily things than make greenhouse gases.  But it's better than spreading poison everywhere!

Answer 6

of the above...Paper but be sure to recycle it...also look for non bleached paper products this way you are not being exposed to Dioxins which are toxic in large amounts and are found in bleached products (as the paper plates/ cups get saturated the toxins leak out into ur food)