Food packaging manufacturers and suppliers pay particular attention to paper and plastic cups news and trends. Paper and plastic cups represent a billion dollar industry worldwide. They are highly visible commodities that understandably come under the scrutiny of a health-conscious public.

Both manufacturers and sellers need to know how consumer health concerns drive this market. A plastic cup producer stands to lose grounding in the market if his company uses a material that is not safe. Paper cup vendors must know to buy from manufacturers using environmentally friendly material so that they will be able to sell their inventory. There are many resources available to anyone who wants to keep track of the latest issues facing the wholesale paper cups industry.

1. Check out ongoing discussions among consumers to identify the latest health concerns about using paper coffee cups.

2. Read online newsletters to learn what professional writers say about the health consequences of using clear plastic cups.

3. Get reliable market research reports that indicate consumer trends affecting disposable cups industry.

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The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Read blogs to learn more about consumer concerns over plastic cups

Manufacturers of paper and plastic cups should find out the health and environmental concerns consumers themselves voice in blogs. In particular, college and university students are in these discussions.

I recommend: Comer's Corner for Conversation features a blog about one student's concerns over paper cup usage at universities. Blogs at the Bring Your Own website consider the health and environmental issues surrounding the use of paper and plastic cups. The Blog Home of Sustainability is Sexy has a post about finding an environmentally friendly disposable cup.

Check out the latest news from online publications focusing on health issues over disposable cups

Find out about new materials that can be used in the manufacture of eco-friendly disposable paper cups. Also learn why health experts caution against using plastic cups

I recommend: Treehugger publishes online daily and weekly newsletters focusing on topics that eco-conscious consumers and paper cup vendors worry about. Many of the newsletters' articles deal with food and health issues. Check out the article archives warning against the use of paper cups at Mercola.com, a highly regarded natural health newsletter.

Get detailed market data that manufacturers of wholesale paper cups depend on

Discover the latest sales projections, which sector of the disposable cups industry is reporting the most growth and how health and wellness trends drive this market.

I recommend: Search the database at MarketResearch.com for articles reporting on consumer trends and consumer demand that drive the paper and plastic cups industry. Purchase one of the detailed target market research reports on disposable paper and plastic cups that Mindbranch.com makes available.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For the most comprehensive articles on paper and plastic cups news and trends, particularly with regard to market forecasts, consider historical demand data on these products.

Whether you want to offer to-go beverages to customers, or you simply need an inexpensive alternative to glasses and cups, paper cups and plastic cups are the answer. For restaurants, investing in to-go cups can actually increase your profit margins since they allow you to sell more beverages, one of the highest markup items in the industry. Paper cups and plastic cups are also a must-have if your restaurant or café caters to families with children. And, if you run an office, you may want to provide paper cups and plastic cups as a courtesy to employees and clients. When shopping for disposable cups, consider these questions:

1. Do you want to offer eco-friendly options such as biodegradable or recyclable paper and plastic cups?
2. Do you want your cold cups to be transparent to enable customers to see the beverage or opaque so they can focus on your logo?
3. Do you want to offer separate sleeves for your coffee cups, or would you rather buy hot cups that come pre-insulated?

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Cold cups

Whether you are serving ice-cold soft drinks, smoothies or ice-blended coffees, choose cold cups to fit your needs. Cold cups come in paper and plastic.

I recommend: Cupdepot sells heavy duty disposable plastic cups ideal for soft drinks and beer. Branders.com sells clear reusable plastic cups that can be customized with your logo. Zesco Products provides Dispense-Rite in-counter cup dispensers with plastic, foam and paper cups that fit the dispensers. Plastic Bar Cups offers reusable disposable cups, including plastic bar, beer, cocktail, shot and wine glasses that are perfect for bar service for catered events.

Hot cups

Coffee cups come in many varieties including foam and paper. You can buy pre-insulated coffee cups that don't require a sleeve and are warm to the touch, or you can purchase retro-style coffee cups that have fold out handles built in.

I recommend: Cooks Direct sells foam to-go cups for hot beverages. Reliable Paper offers Dixie PerfecTouch insulated paper coffee cups that feel warm to the touch and don’t require a sleeve or double cups to protect from hot coffee. Instawares has a variety of coffee cups with generic coffee designs and fold-out handle coffee cups. BaristaWorks offers insulated disposable paper cups with a built-in sleeve. For basic paper coffee cups in an office environment, purchase inexpensive paper goods from office supply stores like Office Depot.

Eco-friendly to-go cups

You can have a clear conscious and know that your company's carbon footprint is minimized if you opt to serve drinks in biodegradable or recyclable to-go cups. Most paper and plastic cups are recyclable and some are made from recyclable materials. The latest technology includes to-go cups that look like clear plastic cups but are made from biodegradable materials.

I recommend: Greenware drink cups from Fabri-Kal are made from corn, look like clear plastic cups and are 100 percent compostable. Mansfield Paper Company offers biodegradable paper hot cups in 10-, 12- and 16-ounce sizes. MrTakeOutBags has a selection of coffee cup sleeves that are biodegradable and recyclable.

Custom imprinted paper and plastic cups

If selling beverages is the bread and butter of your business, put your logo on custom imprinted to-go cups.

I recommend: Absorbent Ink can screen-print or offset-print your logo onto paper cups in four-, six-, eight-, 12-, 16- and 20-ounce sizes. TheDiscountPrinter.com offers imprinted to-go cups that are coated inside for use with either hot or cold beverages.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose paper and plastic cups that are either recyclable or biodegradable to reduce your carbon footprint and to appeal to environmentally conscious customers and employees.
• •  Offer customers special waste receptacles for recyclable paper cups or plastic cups. Before you send them to the recycling center, make sure they will accept cups that may be soiled from coffee grounds or liquids.
• •  Not all disposable cups are designed to be tossed after a single use. Reusable plastic cups can be washed and reused.
• •  Most vendors of to-go cups sell flat or domed lids to fit each cup.

For restaurant owners, the pricing and costs of paper and plastic cups remains an ongoing concern. Fortunately, there are many restaurant supply vendors competing with each other to provide business owners with the best deals on disposable cups.

Diners and breakfast lunch operations that don't depend heavily on take-out food usually buy standard paper and plastic cups at comparatively low prices. Gourmet type cafes, serving more discriminating tastes, usually opt for custom printed cups that may promote their business. Pricing for disposable cups varies according to your business needs.

1. Ask about the costs of standard wholesale plastic cups and disposable paper cups for full service restaurants.

2. Find out the cost of custom printed paper cups for in-store advertising.

3. Consider the cost of specialty disposable cups for desserts.

4. Look into the costs of biodegradable plastic cups.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find the best prices on standard paper coffee cups for diners and breakfast lunch cafes

Your restaurant depends on undecorated 8 and 12 oz. size disposable paper cups for its coffee and hot chocolate. You usually buy 12 oz. plastic cups for cold drinks, like sodas and juices.

I recommend: Costco carries big name Dixie hot paper cups and Solo clear plastic cups and you don't have to purchase them by the case. The 12 oz. Dixie hot cups runs about $10 for 200 units while the 8 oz. Dixie cup costs about $65 for 1000 units. Buy 1000 ct. 12 oz. clear plastic cups for $75 to $85. Reliable Paper offers disposable cups by cases of 1000. The 8 oz. paper cups are $75 while the 12 oz. paper cups are $96.

Search for good deals on custom printed cups that paper cup vendors can offer

Impress the patrons of your upscale cafe or coffee shop by using custom printed disposable cups or promotional cups.

I recommend: Wet Sky Promotions offers a complete line of paper and plastic cups in a variety of sizes. You can usually specify the amount you need, though some of the products require a purchase of 100,000 units. A 22 oz. size cold cup runs about 11 to 12 cents per unit, almost with a purchase of 100,000 units. Get a promotional plastic cup quote from Prime Designs. This North Carolina based company has been in the business for 30 years. Clear plastic cups run between 20 and 35 cents per unit. Colored plastic cups run between 19 and 72 cents, depending upon the model you choose.

Check out prices on custom plastic cups for desserts and other treats

Spend a little extra so you can offer single serve portions of desserts in neat, practical disposable cups.

I recommend: Instawares carries 8 oz. plastic dessert cups that resemble finely cut crystal glassware. You can buy a case of 120 units for about $55. Instaoffice sells clear plastic Sundae dessert cups with domed lids. A case of 1000 costs about $130.

Consider buying Eco-friendly disposable plastic cups

Biodegradable paper and plastic products fully compost in 30 to 60 days.

I recommend: The Cup Store carries biodegradable paper and plastic cups for hot and cold beverages. Get the most savings on large orders. The standard 8 oz. paper cup runs about 33 cents per unit on orders of 1000 and 27 cents per unit when ordering 10,000. A 12 oz. plastic biodegradable cup runs about 30 cents per unit on orders of 1000 and about 24 cents when ordering 10,000. The Biodegradable Store sells corn plastic cups for cold beverages. Get 1 case for about $140. Or purchase by the sleeve for $10.50 a piece.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Custom printed disposable cups offer new businesses the unique opportunity to market their brand. Market studies show that promotional products like coffee cups increase brand awareness and loyalty.