According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 1.3 million tons of waste from paper plates and cups are generated annually – and about half of this amount comes from paper cups. 58 billion paper cups are thrown away each year in the United States, with about 400 million cups being thrown away every day. In New York City alone, seven million cups are tossed into trash bins on a daily basis.
Talking about trees: This is probably the area where the ‘paper cup problem’ is affected most extensively. In 2007, it is estimated that 1.3 tonnes of paper cups were manufactured. In the US alone, 58 billion paper cups are used every year. With the loss of tress, the environment suffers from carbon absorption incapacity. As we all know, tress greatly aid in the absorption of carbon dioxide that is a chief pollutant to our environment. The problem is exacerbated with reduced production of oxygen with the cutting down of tress. All these contribute to a degraded ecosystem as a result of meeting global consumer demands.