Interesting facts about paper cups

What could be simpler than a disposable paper cup? We use it several times every day and throw it in the dustbin without any regret. Surprisingly, many interesting stories are associated with its origin.

A paper cup was a remedy for an epidemic

The introduction of the disposable cup was driven by hygiene and safety considerations. In the last century in America, all schools and other institutions had established "community drinking bowls." They were a barrel of water, to which a metal mug was tied.

Anyone could come up at any time and drink from it. Today, this is hard to imagine, but before it was common practice. Sharing utensils has led to epidemics. Doctors began to sound the alarm.

And one smart student came up with a way out of the situation. He suggested drinking from a rolled-up paper cone. This was the world's first paper cup. Then its shape was improved by adding a bottom, and the invention itself was patented.

Interestingly, the introduction of disposable cups was not met with enthusiasm. Breaking old habits was difficult. The media started a serious campaign against shared mugs.

Numerous frightening leaflets were published. Scary stories were written in newspapers and magazines and frightening pictures were posted, for example, an iron mug from public drinking bowls was depicted in the shape of a skull.

The school introduced a lesson in which they taught children to fold a disposable cup from a regular sheet of paper. And the Ministry of Health has banned the use of reusable mugs in public places.

Growing popularity of paper cups

The first customer for paper disposable cups was the railroad to offer passengers soft drinks during the journey.

Disposable cups have become even more popular thanks to McDonalds. Before the First World War, in connection with the development of road transport, many roadside cafes appeared.

However, it was very inconvenient to use reusable dishes in them. McDonalds even closed its restaurant in California, and when it reopened six months later, the usual dishes were no longer in it. Meals were served in paper containers, and drinks were served in disposable cups.

Cups at war

During the Second World War, the production of disposable cups broke all records. For example, in 1942, half of all paper utensils went to the military.

It was used at military bases, in hospitals, in bomb shelters, etc. It got to the point that the Americans, in order to support the army, began to use reusable dishes again in everyday life in order to send disposable dishes to soldiers.

When was biodegradable plastic invented?

The new biodegradable material "MaterBi" was patented in 1995 in Italy. It is based on a mixture of cornstarch, polycaprolactone, and polyvinyl alcohol. This material is used for the production of various products - from bags to pens. Such "starch" products can last for months, and in some cases even years. So, for example, in the Austrian and Swedish McDonald's restaurants, the plastic forks and knives familiar to us were replaced with "starch" ones.

In addition to cellulose and starch, there are attempts to use pectin, polysaccharides and rapeseed oil to make biodegradable plastics, which make it possible to create a polymer similar to polyurethane and other materials.