Millions of invisible shards in every sip: Boiling water ruins myth of eco paper cups

Disposable paper cups for hot drinks release millions of micro- and nanoplastic particles into liquids, according to researchers from the University of Queensland. Surprisingly, the study found that "eco-friendly" biodegradable coatings are more prone to degradation than standard plastic. The team analyzed two types of waterproof linings used in paper packaging: traditional petroleum-based polyethylene and polylactic acid, a bio-polymer derived from corn or plant starch. When exposed to boiling water, both linings break down, releasing fragments roughly a thousand times thinner than a human hair. The biodegradable coatings performed significantly worse, releasing 12 times more plastic by mass than the polyethylene alternatives. These findings were published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology.