____ environmental impact of a paper cup ____ Estimated carbon footprint, loss of natural habitat potential for one year, loss of plant and animal life potential for one year, and extinction potential, from making, packaging, shipping and/or using these products or services. ———– + Except for CO2 emissions, estimates are based on Habitat, Life, Extinction Formulas v2 by the XOEarth Team. + Estimates do not include the possible long-term ecological effects of climate change and persistent toxins. Formulas use “human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)” to “CO2 emissions” correlation. ———– 1 kg(kilogram) = 2.2 lb(pounds)     1 m^2(square meter) = 10.8 ft^2(square feet) 1 km(kilometers) = .62 mi(miles)     1 liter = .26 gallons
Paper Coffee Cup with sleeve – 16 ounce  Although this report is a good estimate of the carbon emissions of the average coffee cup, the current Starbucks coffee cup has a smaller carbon footprint because Starbucks has added 10% post-consumer recycled content to it cups.  CO2 from [www.edf .org/ documents/ 523_starbucks.pdf [broken link] Environmental Defence Fund edf.org] and Starbucks. [[#ref1]]	Some of the materials used to make this paper coffee cup (16 ounce) with sleeve.  trees, water, ink, plastic, multiple fuels	CO2 released to make and ship this paper coffee cup (16 ounce) with sleeve.  .11 kg .25 lb	Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to make and ship this paper coffee cup (16 ounce) with sleeve.  .09 m^2 .93 ft^2	Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year to make and ship this paper coffee cup (16 ounce) with sleeve.  .27 kg .6 lb	How many paper coffee cups (16 ounce) with sleeves it would takes to trigger 1 potential species extinction.  1.7 billion
Reusable Coffee Mug  As compared to a paper coffee cup, once a reusable coffee mug has been used 50 to 100 times it has almost no carbon footprint. (A small carbon footprint results from rinsing the reusable coffee cup — especially in hot water.)	Some of the materials that may be used to make a reusable coffee mug.  steel, water, ink, plastic, multiple fuels	CO2 released to use a re-usable coffee mug.  0 kg 0 lb	Loss of natural habitat potential for one year to use a re-usable coffee mug.  0 m^2 0 ft^2	Loss of native plant and animal life potential for one year to use a re-usable coffee mug.  0 kg 0 lb	How many times re-usable coffee mugs may be used around the world before they would trigger 1 potential species extinction.  not/app

==Summaries==
A study of one paper coffee cup with sleeve (16 ounce) shows that the CO2 emissions is about .11 kilograms (.25 pounds) per cup with sleeve – including paper from trees, materials, production and shipping. [document with prior statement is now missing]www.edf .org/ documents/ 523_starbucks .pdf [broken link]
The loss of natural habitat potential for one year from the paper coffee cup (16 ounce) with a sleeve is estimated to be .09 square meters (.93 square feet).

==Extras==
Recycling. Most paper cups are designed for a single use and then disposal. Very little recycled paper is used to make paper cups because of contamination concerns and regulations. Because most paper cups are coated with plastic, both composting and recycling of paper cups is uncommon. However, UK-based business group James Cropper, have developed the world’s first facility for the effective recycling of the estimated 2.5 billion paper coffee cups used and disposed of by British businesses each year, and have become one of 14 international companies to formally join the Paper Recovery and Recycling Group (PCRRG). James Cropper’s Reclaimed Fibre Facility was opened by HM The Queen in July 2013, and recovers both the plastic and paper from the cups ensuring nothing is wasted from the recycling process. [13] Although paper cups are made from renewable resources (wood chips 95% by weight), paper products in a landfill may not decompose, or may release methane if decomposed anaerobically. The manufacture of paper usually requires inorganic chemicals and creates water effluents. Paper cups may consume more non-renewable resources than cups made of polystyrene foam (whose only significant effluent is pentane).[14][15]

Over 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups used by US consumers only for coffee in 2006, using 4 billion US gallons (15,000,000 m3) of water and resulting in 253 million pounds of waste. Overall, North Americans use 58% of all paper cups, amounting to a staggering 130 billion cups.[13][22]

Unfortunately, very little recycled paper is used to make paper cups because of contamination concerns and regulations. Because most paper cups are coated with plastic, both composting and recycling of paper cups is uncommon.

Although paper cups are made from renewable resources (wood chips 95% by weight), paper products in a landfill may not decompose, or may release methane if decomposed anerobically. The manufacture of paper requires inorganic chemicals and creates large amounts of water effluents.

Paper vs plastic. A life cycle inventory of a comparison of paper vs plastic cups shows environmental effects of both with no clear winner.[16] PE is a petroleum based coating on paper cups that can slow down the process of biodegrading of the paper it coats. PLA is a biodegradable bio-plastic coating used on some paper cups. PLA is a renewable resource and is certified compostable, which means that when it biodegrades it does not leave behind any toxic residues.[17] PLA-lined cups are thus the only paper cups which can be composted fully. All paper cups can only be recycled at a specialised treatment facility regardless of the lining.[18]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_cup#Environmental_impact
aboutmyplanet.com/environment/paper-unsustainable
livestrong.com/article/199671-what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-paper-cups/

==References==
1. www.edf .org /documents /523_starbucks.pdf [broken link] p.25 Report of the Alliance for Environmental Innovation and Starbucks 2000 (with the Environmental Defense Fund) (Although this report is a good estimate of the carbon emissions of the average coffee cup, the current Starbucks coffee cup has a smaller carbon footprint because Starbucks has added 10% post-consumer recycled content to it cups.)

==Ecomedia==

==External links==
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_cup

[[category:Choices]] [[category:Products]]