A Guide to Choosing Disposable Cups for a Beverage Business
If you own a beverage business or are thinking of starting one, you are in the right place to learn about disposable cups. Every beverage business needs disposable cups to sell their products, and choosing the right ones can make a huge difference on your marketing, sales, brand image, profit margins, and overall business.
But how do you go about choosing the right ones? Let’s find out with our guide to choosing disposable cups for a beverage business:
Disposable Cup Sizes
Choosing the right cup sizes is perhaps the easiest decision you can make in this process. You can easily base your choice on factors like the type of beverage, your serving size, profit margins, etc.
Here is a list for common cup sizes and the typical beverages they are used for:
- 4oz (118ml) - espresso shots
- 8oz (237ml) - regular sized coffees
- 10oz (295ml) - regular sized soft drinks or medium sized coffees
- 12oz (355ml) - regular sized soft drinks or medium sized coffees
- 16oz (473ml) - medium sized soft drinks or large sized coffees
- 20oz (591ml) - large sized soft drinks
- 24oz (710ml) - extra-large sized soft drinks
- 32oz (946ml) - supersized soft drinks
Types of Disposable Cups
When choosing disposable cups, you want the right type of cup. This depends on the type and temperature of the beverages you want to serve:
- Plain Plastic Cups - for cold drinks.
- Premium PP Injection Cups - higher quality plastic, custom-printable cups for cold drinks
- Single Wall Cold Cups - thin paper sheet cups for cold drinks
- Single Wall Hot Cups - thick paper sheet cups for hot drinks
- Double Wall Hot Cups - double-layer thick paper sheet cups for hot drinks
- Air Pocket Hot Cups - premium, double-layer with sealed, corrugated layer of air pockets for hot drinks
These are the most common types, but there are combinations of these types available in the market, for example “double air wall paper coffee cups.” The more layers or insulation you have from air pockets, the longer your beverage stays warm, without your customers’ hands getting too hot.
Premium disposable coffee cups like air pocket options can also help you cut the need for cup sleeves. Of course, you should never serve warm beverages in plan plastic or premium PP injection cups.
Materials Matter
The materials used to make a disposable cup are important, because they dictate the quality and sustainability of your cups. Here are some popular options, starting with the least eco-friendly options to the most.
- Recyclable
The most common types of materials for disposable cups, like the plastic and paper cups we see at stores and parties. They are the least sustainable and eco-friendly option. Quality plastic disposable cups are more durable and expensive than other options.
- Post Consumer Recycled Content
Disposable cups made from once-recycled materials, including plastic materials. Many modern standard cups use such materials, because they are fairly durable and less expensive.
- Degradable
These disposable cups can be broken down to eco-friendly elements by chemical intervention. They often use paper materials, which makes them quite sustainable, but not the most durable.
- Compostable
These materials compost and decay easily without leaving any harmful elements. They are mostly made from compostable paper, which means they highly sustainable, but not very durable.
- Biodegradable
The most sustainable and eco-friendly material for disposable cups, because it can naturally break down to harmless elements. Disposable cups made from this material are typically known as “green” cups.
Final Thoughts
Consider this guide when you are choosing disposable cups for your beverage business, and you should have no trouble purchasing the right ones. We highly recommend opting for a trusted supplier like Custom Cup Factory.
With all types of custom-printed disposable cups available, you can design, customize, and brand your cups according to your brand.
