From the moment we wake up in the morning to the time we drift off to sleep at night, packaging plays a vital role in our daily lives. It’s the carton that holds your favorite breakfast cereal, the container that holds your vitamins, and the to-go cup of coffee you grab on your way to work. Packaging is always there, seamlessly integrated into our routines, providing convenience and reliability when we need it most. 

Paper cups have been there for us for over a hundred years. They’ve held warm drinks on cold winter nights and refreshing drinks on hot summer days. Paper cups are the unsung heroes in the day-to-day lives of millions of busy consumers.  

And for on-the-go operators in quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and convenience stores, the benefits of paper cups are growing ever more relevant to their business and their consumers. 

Not all cups are created equal 

Paper cups aren’t the only options available for beverages on the go. There are plastic, foam, and reusable cups, too. Each cup has its own sustainability narrative, but not all are telling the full story, and consumers are becoming aware of this.  

For example, plastic is accepted in many residential recycling streams. However, the reality is that only nine percent of plastic waste is actually recovered, while the rest is incinerated or sent to a landfill. In 2024, around 220 million tons of plastic waste was created in the U.S., highlighting the importance of having strong end markets to reprocess materials into new products. 

Leaving out this part of the story is becoming an issue for legislators. In the State of California vs ExxonMobil lawsuit, California’s Attorney General accused the petrochemical giant of “misleading the public on plastic’s recyclability”. This lawsuit explicitly references statistics that show that, even with the advent of chemical recycling, 92% of plastic waste is not successfully recycled into usable plastic material.  

The recycling access rate for paper cups is relatively low, but the recovery rate is high, with strong end markets for recovered cups that can turn them into new paperboard packaging and other paper products. We’re seeing states try to address access to recycling shortfalls through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiatives and industry advocates at the local level, but the process is slow. Paper cups are designed to be recycled, it’s a matter of getting local municipalities to accept the material into their recycling stream, then educating the consumer to put it in the right bin. 

Once a paper cup makes it into the recycling bin, it has a high chance of being recovered. Why? With the advancement of technology at paperboard manufacturing facilities and the desire to collect the cup and turn it into something else, the end markets are very strong and willing to process this material. Over 40 facilities across North America now accept paper cups for recycling, but the industry needs more of this material to enter the stream if consumers continue to demand and appreciate products made from recycled materials. 

What do consumers REALLY think about cups? 

A recent study conducted for Graphic Packaging by the Shelton Group found that 78% of consumers are either extremely or somewhat concerned about the environmental impact of plastic cups compared to paper. And three quarters view paper packaging as “more eco-friendly”.  A separate study found that overall, consumers view the paper industry as “more trustworthy” than its plastic counterpart. 

In addition to concerns around environmental impact, consumers expect their beverage packaging to perform. Market research from intelligence firm Technomic reveals that 84% of consumers rate insulation performance of a cup as extremely or moderately important for cold beverages, compared to 43% who value the ability to see the beverage through the cup. Paper cups deliver here, too – take our Cold&Go innovation as an example. We’ve leveraged 15 years of experience refining insulated cup technology to create it, prioritizing performance by preserving the quality of the beverage and reducing condensation. 

Paper cups show you care  

Being thoughtful about the packaging you choose is key. It needs to be functional for the consumer, convey the right brand message and work easily in foodservice operations. When you achieve all three, you get a package that seamlessly complements our everyday lives. It gives consumers a satisfying sensory experience when they sip and enjoy their favorite beverage. 

Choosing paper cups distinguishes QSRs that care about our planet and everything that lives on it. Stronger demand for paper encourages landowners to invest in nurturing our precious forests, preserving vital ecosystems, and supporting rural economies. Take a look at this video to hear just one landowner story. 

The message to QSRs is loud and clear – choose paper cups and show you care about your consumers, your business, and the planet. 

Discover more benefits of paper cups.