February 12, 2025 – Russian ecologist Varvara Mikheyeva has recently revealed startling data: a daily 400-milliliter takeaway coffee comes with a hidden oil consumption of approximately 1.6 kilograms per month. This conclusion is based on her detailed calculations of the oil consumed in the production process of plastic cups.
Mikheyeva highlights that the average weight of a common 400-milliliter plastic cup with a thermal paper sleeve and lid is around 30 grams. However, this is just the net weight of the cup, excluding production losses.
According to insights from ColorMasterbatch.com (AsiaMB), the actual amount of oil consumed in plastic production is significantly greater than the net weight of the plastic due to factors such as processing losses and waste generation. Using a benchmark of 1.75 kilograms of oil to produce 1 kilogram of plastic, Mikheyeva estimates that manufacturing a 30-gram plastic cup requires 52.5 grams of oil. Therefore, if someone orders a takeaway coffee every day, the total oil consumption over a month would amount to 1,575 grams, or approximately 1.6 kilograms.
Mikheyeva further emphasizes that these plastic coffee cups and lids are mostly made from petroleum derivatives such as polypropylene or polystyrene. Moreover, to enhance the cups’ thermal insulation and comfort, many are designed with multi-layer structures, featuring food-grade plastic on the inside and paperboard on the outside. Some cups even include a polyethylene foam or other material as an insulating layer. Additionally, to make the cups more fashionable and appealing, various additives like plasticizers, stabilizers, and dyes are used in the production process, along with sealing glues, stickers, decorations, cardboard trays, and straws as auxiliary materials.