Advantages of plastic cups: changeable shape, bright color, low price and not easy to break.
Disadvantages of plastic cups: First, plastic belongs to polymer chemical materials and often contains toxic chemicals such as polypropylene or PVC; Second, plastic cups are easy to breed bacteria and are not easy to clean; Third, most plastic cups sold in the market are made of polycarbonate. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the main raw materials for producing polycarbonate plastics. BPA is an internationally recognized substance that can increase the risk of cancer.
The second category: paper cups
Advantages of paper cups: light weight, low cost, beautiful appearance, easy to carry and use, easy to treat waste and easy to recycle.
Disadvantages of paper cups: short shelf life, uneven quality and great hidden dangers. Some paper cup manufacturers will add fluorescent whitening agents to make the cups look whiter. This fluorescent substance can mutate cells, and once it enters the human body, it will become a potential carcinogen. A polyethylene waterproof film will be coated on the inner wall during production, which is harmful to human body after long-term use.
The third category: glasses
Advantages of glass: no organic chemicals, smooth surface, easy cleaning, safety and hygiene.
Disadvantages of glass: it is not easy to preserve and must be handled with care.
The fourth category: aluminum cups
Advantages of aluminum cup: light weight and corrosion resistance.
Disadvantages of aluminum cup: aluminum can damage human brain cells. Aluminum accumulates slowly in human body, and its toxicity is slow, which is not easy to detect. But once the toxic reaction of metabolic disorder occurs, the consequences are very serious. Therefore, we must pay attention to prevent the absorption of aluminum and reduce the use of aluminum products in daily life.
Extended data:
The secret of plastic cup bottom:
Plastic cups (bottles) will have a triangular recycling logo with an arrow at the bottom. Through the numbers on this logo, we can know what material the cup is made of.
I. "1"-PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in mineral water bottles and beverage bottles, this substance is heat-resistant to 70℃, and can be filled with water for a short time at room temperature, but it cannot be filled with acid-base drinks or high-temperature liquids, nor can it be exposed to the sun, otherwise it will produce toxic substances harmful to human body.
Second, "5"-PP (polypropylene)
PP plastic water cup is made of polypropylene, which has good thermal stability and thermal insulation, and is safe and harmless to human body. The product can be sterilized at the temperature above 100℃, and will not deform at 150℃ without external force, and there is no pressure when filling with boiling water.
Third, "58"-PC (polycarbonate)
Commonly used in kettles, space cups, baby bottles, department stores often use water cups made of this material as gifts. However, cups made of this material are not resistant to high temperature. If heated or in an acidic or alkaline environment, it is easy to release the toxic substance bisphenol A(BPA), so do not use it for hot water, and it is best to clean it with warm water.
4. 6-polystyrene
Plastic cups made of ps are particularly brittle and resistant to low temperature, and cannot be used in high temperature, strong acid and strong alkali environments.
5. "7"-As (acrylonitrile-styrene resin), PC materials and others
Used in pots, cups, milk bottles, etc. High safety, fall resistance, but not high temperature resistance. Drinking cold water is harmless, but if you drink hot water, it will produce harmful substances after heating. Therefore, everyone must pay more attention when using it as a plastic cup.
In addition to high temperature resistance, PP cups include TRITAN (Eastman PCTG, USA) and ECOZEN (SK, Korea). These two cups are environmentally friendly, BPA-free, durable, transparent and feel the same as PC, but the price is higher.
Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia-Glasses
Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia-Paper Cup
Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia-Plastic Cup
Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia-Aluminum