Paper cups are mainly produced using wood pulp, which is usually derived from renewable resources such as fast-growing trees. Plastic cups are primarily made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. The extraction, transportation, and processing of petroleum not only consume a large amount of energy but also pollute the environment. The production of plastics may involve the use of toxic substances, posing a potential threat to the ecological environment.

Paper cups are usually coated with a polyethylene film inside and out, making it difficult to effectively separate paper and plastic during recycling, thus reducing the recyclability of paper cups [7]. If waste paper cups are recycled as waste paper, it will cause some interference during later recycling processes, increasing recycling costs. Plastic cups are relatively easy to recycle, and modern society has established a relatively complete plastic recycling system; however, some plastics still cannot be recycled and are ultimately sent to landfills or incinerated, potentially causing environmental harm.

A 473 ml PP reusable cup, used only 11 times, has a lower carbon emission than a disposable paper cup. A paper cup made with zero-plastic water-based barrier paper is recyclable, biodegradable, and microwaveable. It is claimed to be recyclable more than six times, and each recycling can reduce carbon emissions in the industrial chain by approximately 60%, helping to solve the problem of plastic separation during recycling.

Recycling a single disposable paper cup can achieve a 68% carbon reduction. The carbon reduction from recycling one ton of paper cups is equivalent to reducing the driving distance of a small gasoline passenger car by 4481 kilometers or planting 6.5 trees. Shenzhen's "Empty Cup, Reduce Plastic" campaign encourages consumers to reduce their use of single-use plastic cups. Recycled plastic cups can be made into packaging bags, eco-friendly bags, and other products.