Replacing single-use plastic cups with paper ones is problematic: Study
Gothenburg, Sweden: Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have demonstrated that paper cups, that are left in the environment, can also harm the planet because they contain harmful substances.
Reports that plastic pollution is infecting every area of the planet and every living creature hassped up the transition to alternate materials. The coffee latte you buy at the corner kiosk and take with you now arrives in paper cups, occasionally even with paper lids. However, if that cup is left in the wild, it might also cause harm to living things. In a study examining the impact of disposable cups made of various materials on the larvae of the butterfly mosquito, researchers at the University of Gothenburg provide evidence for this.
“We left paper cups and plastic cups in wet sediment and water for a few weeks and followed how the leached chemicals affected the larvae. All of the mugs negatively affected the growth of mosquito larvae,” said Bethanie Carney Almroth, Professor of Environmental Science at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Gothenburg.
Paper is neither fat nor water-resistant, so paper that is used in food packaging material needs to be treated with a surface coating. This plastic protects the paper from the coffee in your hand. Nowadays, plastic film is often made of polylactide, PLA, a type of bioplastic. PLA is often regarded as biodegradable, meaning that it can break down faster than oil-based plastics under the right conditions, but the researchers' study shows that it can still be toxic.
“Bioplastics do not break down effectively when they end up in the environment, in water. There may be a risk that the plastic remains in nature and resulting microplastics can be ingested by animals and humans, just as other plastics do. Bioplastics contain at least as many chemicals as conventional plastic,” said Bethanie Carney Almroth.
“Some chemicals in plastics are known to be toxic, others we lack knowledge about. Paper packaging also presents a potential health hazard compared to other materials, and it’s becoming more common. We are exposed to the plastics and the associated chemicals via contact with food.”
Bethanie Carney Almroth and her research colleagues report their results in a scientific article in Environmental Pollution. In the article, they reason about the major shifts that are required to mitigate the continuing damage to the environment and threat to our health caused by the plastics pollution crisis.
“When disposable products arrived on the market after the Second World War, large campaigns were conducted to teach people to throw the products away, it was unnatural to us! Now we need to shift back and move away from disposable lifestyles. It is better if you bring your own mug when buying takeaway coffee. Or by all means, take a few minutes, sit down and drink your coffee from a porcelain mug,” said Bethanie Carney Almroth.
