If You Drink One Disposable Cup Coffee a Day... Annual Exposure to 2,639 Microplastic Particles

Korea Consumer Agency, Survey Results on 16 Types of Disposable Containers and More

Microplastic detection amounts by plastic container.
[Photo by Korea Consumer Agency]

As the delivery food market grows, the use of plastic disposable products has increased, raising consumer concerns about microplastics. It was found that the amount of microplastics detected in disposable containers distributed in the market is up to 4.5 times higher than in reusable containers.

According to the results of an investigation by the Korea Consumer Agency on the 28th, which examined 16 types of disposable containers and 4 types of reusable containers, 1 to 29.7 microplastics were detected per disposable container. In reusable containers, 0.7 to 2.3 microplastics were found per container. Microplastics were most commonly found in PET (47.5%) and PP (27.9%), the main raw materials of plastic cups and packaging containers, followed by PE (10.2%), which is used for coating paper cups.

Assuming the annual coffee consumption per adult is 377 cups, if all are consumed using disposable cups, the amount of microplastics exposure per individual is approximately 2,639 particles per year. If it is assumed that delivery food is ordered about 1.9 times per week, the annual microplastic exposure is expected to increase significantly.

The Consumer Agency stated, “Although the harmful effects of microplastics have not yet been scientifically proven, proactive safety management is necessary.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.