📚 Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Understand the environmental impact of disposable products
• Learn how small behavior changes can lead to system-wide improvements
• Develop advocacy, communication, and sustainability habits

💡 What to Do

Encourage students to bring and use their own reusable cups instead of disposable paper or foam cups. Suggested activities include:

• Track personal cup use for one week using a class chart
• Create posters or PSA videos promoting reusable cups
• Design personalized reusable cup art or slogans
• Host a “No Disposable Cup” challenge day at school

🌍 Why It Matters

Disposable cups may seem harmless, but their environmental cost is significant:

• Billions of cups are discarded yearly after just one use
• Most are not recyclable due to plastic linings or foam materials
• They contribute to landfill overflow, ocean pollution, and energy waste

Using a personal reusable cup helps reduce waste, cut emissions, and conserve resources.

🔬 The Science Behind It

• Most paper cups are lined with plastic, making them nearly impossible to recycle
• Foam cups (polystyrene) take centuries to break down, releasing microplastics
• A single disposable cup wastes water, trees, fossil fuels, and energy
• Reusable cups offset their environmental footprint within 10–20 uses
• Encourage students to listen to scientific perspectives on plastic pollution