For several years now, the reusable cup has been everywhere: at festivals, concerts, in bars, at various events... We are told that it has better ecological advantages than disposable plastic cups. But is it as "green" as it looks?

Since February 10, 2020, since the adoption of the anti-waste law for the circular economy, the production of single-use plastic cups is prohibited, as well as the "family" of disposable products such as plates, straws, cutlery, cotton buds. .

And if we take a closer look at the chain of impacts of a single-use cup, from its production to its use, a reusable cup needs 16 times more water than a single-use plastic cup. It is made of the same material as a disposable plastic cup: polypropylene. To make it more durable, its production requires 6 times more raw materials than a disposable plastic cup.

The single-use cup has many impacts on the climate: resource depletion, greenhouse effect, ecotoxicity, health impacts, eutrophication (the process by which nutrients accumulate in the environment or habitat), ozone depletion, etc.

To wash a reusable cup, 8 cl of water, 0.12 g of detergent and 0.018 g of drying agent are required. And the impact on the environment is greater if the detergents are not organic!

If first sightings of single-use glass are disappointing, the object has many ecological benefits. It can be reused up to 150 times. At the end of its life, it can be melted down and recycled into a beach ashtray, drink holder, ice scraper, etc.

A reusable cup is definitely more polluting in production, but when used more than 7 times, its environmental impact will be less than that of a single-use plastic cup! Reducing the amount of waste also makes it possible to reduce the impact on marine biodiversity, thereby achieving less aquatic ecotoxicity.

So, reusable cup or plastic cup? From an environmental point of view, there is no comparison: a reusable cup is much better than a plastic cup. However, for effective use, you should take it with you on every trip. And there's no need to collect them: it's better to keep two or three than twenty twenty left in the back of the closet. (nievre.fr)