Question

State one advantage of disposable paper cups over disposable plastic cups.

Answer 1

Hint: We are asked to find the one advantage of disposable paper cups over disposable plastic cups. So, first we will discuss the effects of both disposable paper cups and disposable plastic cups on the environment. Then, we will discuss the advantages of disposable paper cups over disposable plastic cups.

Complete step by step answer:
Effects of both disposable paper cups and disposable plastic cups on the environment : Disposable paper cups are easily degraded by the microorganisms present in the environment and these paper cups can be burned without causing any pollution to the environment. While in case of plastic cups produces toxic gases on burning which causes too much pollution to the environment and these cannot be degraded by the microorganisms, and will remain as such in the environment for decades.
Advantages of disposable paper cups over disposable plastic cups : The main advantage of paper cups is biodegradability. These cups break down easily with no harm to the environment. So, in simple words, we can say that disposable paper cups are far better then the disposable plastic cups.

Additional Information: Disposable cup types include paper cups, foam cups, plastic cups. Expanded polystyrene is used to manufacture foam cups, and polypropylene is used to manufacture plastic cups.

Note: Biodegradability is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms such as fungi, and bacteria. Now biodegradable technology has become a highly developed market with applications in product packaging, production, and medicine. Biodegradability is different from composting which has led to much confusion between the terms. Composting is a human driven process in which biodegradation occurs under a specific set of circumstances. The predominant difference between the two is that one process is naturally occurring and one is human-driven.