Cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of single-use disposable and reusable cups

A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of the reusable glass cup and the single-use disposable Polypropylene (PP) cup was conducted. The environmental impacts of both glass cup and PP cup were obtained and compared. In weighing the impacts, the break-even points from both environmental and economic viewpoints were investigated. Both impacts show that the glass cup has already outperformed the PP cup on the 5th day. Although the benefits are stark, consumer behavior will make a huge difference of whether using the reusable cups or disposable cups.