Disposable Plates

There is a huge fight in comparing paper vs Styrofoam wares. Most of you may be under the impression that paper is the better one because it is eco-friendly. To be truthful, this is not the case all the time. Paper cups are actually not recyclable at all. With one myth busted, here is some information about paper vs Styrofoam disposable wares so that next time you go out to buy disposable plates, you know which to pick.

Comparing Paper VS Styrofoam Wares

Insulation: Styrofoam is the clear winner in this case. Styrofoam is a better insulator and thus works well because paper can heat up really quick when hot beverages are poured into the cups or hot food is put onto the plate. It is not feasible to use paper thus.

Environment Friendly: In this case, as aforementioned, Styrofoam wins the competition of paper vs Styrofoam. Most paper cups and plates are actually not degradable. Along with that, the paper wares actually takes up more raw materials, money and energy as compared to Styrofoam. The amount of water used is about 12 times more and electricity used is 36 times more. The stats are shocking but they are absolutely truthful. Thus, you must be careful about his aspect when you are considering paper vs Styrofoam plates.

Cost: Paper cups and plates are usually made out along with a cardboard sleeve so that they don’t get burned due to the heat. This modification costs a lot and even increases the raw material requirement, energy requirement and the shipping requirements. If you modify a Styrofoam ware on the other hand, it’ll only cost you about half the modification charges of paper. This clearly shows that in paper vs Styrofoam, Styrofoam is the winner when it comes to cost too.

Overall, Styrofoam scores above paper but that does not mean it is the best choice. Only in this comparison is it better. Neither is truly environmental friendly and thus, only a comparison of which is more eco-friendly can be made. If you have to use them for big parties and informal gatherings then you may choose Styrofoam. If not, there are many other ways of eating food and drinking hot beverages. There are reusable cups and plates that are also biodegradable. You can always choose these over the others.

There are changes being brought in the manufacturing of both these kinds of plates and if there is a way to get usable and biodegradable paper plates, paper will be the clear winner in paper vs Styrofoam.