Clear PET cups for cold beverage

Many businesses are torn between traditional Recyclable PET and Biodegradable PLA (Polylactic Acid/Corn Starch) cups. While PLA sounds like the perfect eco-solution, the reality is nuanced. For many businesses, Recyclable PET remains the more practical and truly sustainable choice depending on your local waste infrastructure.
The PLA Reality PLA is compostable, but only in industrial composting facilities. It will not decompose in a landfill or in a home compost bin. If a customer throws a PLA cup into a regular recycling bin, it contaminates the PET recycling stream because they look identical but melt at different temperatures. Since many cities lack industrial composting pickup, PLA often ends up in landfills where it behaves like regular plastic.
The PET Advantage PET relies on the existing recycling infrastructure. Consumers know to put plastic bottles and cups in the recycling bin. Because the system to process PET already exists everywhere, the likelihood of a PET cup actually being recycled is often higher than a PLA cup finding a commercial composter.

Heat Sensitivity: PLA is very sensitive to heat and can melt in a hot car or storage truck (above 40°C). PET is more stable for general storage.
Cost: PET is generally more cost-effective than PLA.
Unless you have a "closed-loop" system (like a festival where you collect all trash for a specific compost facility), PET is often the more logical and robust environmental choice for general retail.