Every day, millions of disposable paper cups are used for tea, coffee, and water across offices, cafés, airlines, and events across India. And they look harmless. After all, they are just paper, cardboard, and a brand logo you trust, right? But we miss one more layer there, something that reaches your lips even before the first sip.
Here’s what we mean.
Most disposable coffee cups and paper cups aren’t really just paper. Inside, they’re lined with polyethylene (PE) coating, a thin film of petroleum-based plastic that keeps the cup from leaking. It’s also what makes them impossible to recycle.
This very layer also allows 25,000+ microplastic particles to leach into just 100 ml of a hot beverage within 15 minutes of contact, according to a study by IIT Kharagpur, published in The Journal of Hazardous Materials.
Over 25,000 harmful particles in just one cup, used once, for 15 minutes.
When exposed to sunlight and heat over time, this plastic layer also releases methane into the atmosphere and breaks down into microplastics that accumulate in our soil, water, and bodies. The cup you hold for 15 minutes can take up to 20 years to break down in a landfill, yet it never fully disappears.
But wait, are these microplastics really harmful?
Yes, microplastics have been found in human blood, lung tissue, breast milk, and even the placenta. They are, at this point, inside most of us, and the primary question scientists are racing to answer is not whether they’re there, but what they’re doing.
Here’s what research is beginning to show:
Hormonal disruption
Chemicals in plastic linings can mimic or block the body’s natural hormones, interfering with the endocrine system. This can negatively impact reproductive health, thyroid function, metabolism, and mood over time. The issue here isn’t a single exposure but the cumulative nature of it.
Inflammation
Microplastics lodged in our tissue trigger the body’s immune response. Chronic low-grade inflammation is increasingly linked to conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to autoimmune disorders.
Organ accumulation
Unlike many substances the body can process and expel, microplastics tend to accumulate. Studies have found higher concentrations of microplastics in people with certain diseases than in healthy individuals.
Early life exposure
Microplastics have been detected in the placenta and breast milk, meaning exposure can begin before birth. The long-term implications for child development are still being studied, which is exactly what makes this worth paying attention to now.
While science is still building the full picture, what the current evidence points to is clear. These particles are not neutral, and repeated daily exposure through something as routine as a morning cup of tea is not something to take lightly.
So, What is the Solution?
When a disposable says plastic-free, it may not always be so. PLA and BioPBS coatings common in cups labelled biodegradable are bioplastics, not plastic-free. They still form a film on paper, still require industrial composting facilities to break down, and still end up in landfills when those facilities aren’t available. If you’re looking for a genuine alternative to PE-coated paper cups, the coating itself has to be replaced by an eco-friendly one, such as the aqueous coating.
The RAS Difference
When we realized that we were all being greenwashed, we did a deep dive into the ‘what” and “how’ of paper cups. We were sure that we didn’t want to go looking for a better plastic alternative. We wanted to eliminate it. Today, our repulpable, compostable, and recyclable disposables are made with a water-based aqueous coating, applied to paper as a protective barrier. The result is a completely plastic-free paper cup. As a paper cup manufacturer in India committed to sustainability, we supply eco-friendly paper cups in bulk to businesses that are ready to make the switch.
