Just a random question, but hear me out

skidad
Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:35:07 +0000

I remember reading a while back that foam cups are by far the least energy intensive type of cup to use. They take far less energy to produce than other one-use cup materials, such as paper. And even though reusable cups (ceramic or glass or whatever) can be used over and over, washing them takes energy, and the only way such cups can be less energy-intensive than foam cups is if the dishwasher is very, very highly energy efficient. And even then, it’s only by a slim margin.

Of course, that ignores the whole landfill issue, but it’s an interesting environmental trade-off that usually isn’t considered, which is odd given how energy is at the forefront of environmental debate these days.