A Compostable Paper Cup

It's humbling to discover that U.S. consumers use 40 billion paper cups and 25 billion plastic and foam cups every year. For those times when you have no alternative but to use a take-out cup, look for stores that use the first compostable paper cup, the ecotainer^TM. This cup feels and functions identically to traditional standard paper cold cups. Made by Freshëns Quality Brands, ecotainers differ from standard paper cold cups in a few important ways. Typical paperboard is coated with a petrochemical based plastic, polyethylene, to make it liquid resistant. However, this cup uses Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biopolymer derived from plant sugars, to create a water-resistant barrier on the paperboard. The coating is not water-soluble and will not dissolve in use with hot or cold beverages, but it can be composted over time.