Biodegradable cups are the important next step in innovation for environment protection. With an already affected planet and ever-increasing levels of plastic usage, we have to now take steps in amending a lot of our littering habits in order to keep planet Earth habitable. Biodegradable cups are a perfect alternative for plastic cups- which are one of the main culprits of pollution- and can help us reduce waste massively.
Plastics
Plastics and things made from plastics contribute to the largest portion of environment pollution. Every year, multiple metric tons of plastic products are produced. These products range from bottles and cups to sachets and packets and strings of many kind. A lot of the products made using plastics, like many bottles and cups, are one time use only and get carelessly thrown away after a solitary use. These throw-away items then accumulate and multiply very quickly.
But the true problem comes during disposal of plastics. Plastic does not decay and thus needs to processed for disposal. However, this ‘process’ is not any high ingenuity solution. Most of the time, large plastic mounds in landfills face one of three possible fates. Either large amounts are dumped in the ocean, or they are burnt or they are simply left untouched. All three of these methods are completely unacceptable as all three negatively affect the environment. Leaving plastic waste untouched or dumping it into the ocean can cause the surrounding areas to become toxic which gravely effects the life in those areas. And burning plastic waste releases large amounts of carbon and sulfur in the air which is harmful for the entire planet.
Benefits of Biodegradable Cups
Biodegradable cups are cups that can decay naturally. Seeing that one of the largest uses of plastic every year is in making cups, we can instantly cut down on waste and have an immediate effect by switching to biodegradable cups.
Biodegradable cups, to begin with, are safer to use. Since the materials used in biodegradable cups are non-synthetic and more natural, biodegradable cups get and instant seal of compatibility with our bodies and are a better choice in comparison to plastic cups which have the potential to be made from materials can cause health issues, especially for the more sensitive people. Furthermore, many biodegradable cups nowadays are actually edible. This means that once you finish your drink, you can munch on the cup, removing the need to painstakingly wash the cup or throw it away, both of which can cause high amounts of pollution.
The Environmental Benefits of using Biodegradable Cups are Immense
Firstly, by using biodegradable cups, we can directly cut down on plastic waste in the ocean and in landfills. Since, biodegradable cups decay into nothingness and self-dispose themselves, we can venture clear of poor disposal methods like burning and help keep the planet healthy.
Secondly, reducing plastic waste in the ocean is a paramount task. Due to large quantities of toxic and harmful plastics, the marine life is one of the worst affected by this pollution. Everyday we see marine animals struggling in toxic water or tangled up in plastic mesh which causes them to become permanently deformed. And the number of these images and instances always seem to be increasing. And in fact, they are. Currently as we speak there are 150 million metric tons of plastic waste floating in the ocean. And every year this number goes up by 8 million. It is statistically clear that we need to find alternatives to plastic and biodegradable cups are perfect for our cause.
Lastly, by switching to biodegradable cups, we can greatly reduce fossil fuel usage. Plastics are made using parts of crude oil and the manufacturing process itself is powered by burning fossil fuels. By switching to biodegradable cups, we can scratch fossil fuels off materials list helping us not only reduce waste and pollution, but also preserve a valuable resource.
Verdict
Biodegradable cups are a one of many steps we need to take in order to reduce pollution in the environment. Biodegradable cups are an all-round solution that helps us both with disposal-by naturally decaying- and with manufacturing-by not requiring precious fossil fuels to make.