For most clear cold cups the answer is PET (or rPET); PP is the choice for sealed, warm-filled or reusable cups, and PLA fits only where used cups are collected for industrial composting. Material is the first specification decision in a cold-cup range because the lid, the print and the recycling claim all follow from it: a smoothie chain that moves from clear PET to translucent PP to suit a sealing machine changes all three at once. Below, the four materials buyers ask about are compared against drink, service format and selling country, not looks alone. The product range itself is on the custom printed plastic cups hub.
PET vs PP cups: what is the difference?
PET is clear, rigid and glossy, and is the standard for iced drinks where the drink should be visible. PP is translucent or opaque, more flexible and tougher when dropped, and it tolerates higher temperatures. PET is a polyester and PP a polyolefin, so they are sorted into separate recycling streams; that is why a PET cup is normally paired with a PET lid and a PP cup with a PP lid or film.
| Property | PET | PP |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity | Clear, glass-like | Translucent (clarified grades are clearer) or opaque |
| Stiffness | Rigid; can crack or split when dropped cold | Flexible; squeeze-able wall |
| Heat | Cold and ambient only; softens at moderate temperatures | Higher heat tolerance; rating varies by cup design |
| Typical forming | Thermoformed from extruded sheet | Thermoformed or injection moulded |
| Print finish | Glossy surface, print reads through the wall | Matt or satin surface; good for opaque colours |
| Lid | Snap-on lids, usually PET or compatible | Snap-on lid or heat-sealed film |
| Recycling stream | PET (resin code 1) | PP (resin code 5) |
As indicative figures that vary by grade and wall thickness, thin-wall PET cups are generally used up to about 60 °C, PLA cups up to about 40-45 °C and PP cups commonly up to around 100 °C; the maker's rating for the specific cup decides.
Thermoformed PET is the main route for clear single-use cold cups. Injection-moulded PP is the main route for hard, reusable cups and for thin-wall cups with in-mould labels. Which forming route a cup uses affects wall thickness, tolerances and print method, which is why print options are discussed in printing on plastic cups.
Which material suits which drink?
Match the material to serving temperature, closure and handling first. The table gives common pairings; the confirmed choice depends on the exact drink, fill temperature and cup design.
| Drink or service | Usual material | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Iced coffee, cold brew | PET | Clarity, standard lid fit |
| Smoothies, juices | PET | Clarity; dome lid for headroom |
| Milkshakes | PET or PP | Thick drink, wide straw slot |
| Bubble tea with sealing film | PP | Heat-sealed film needs a sealable rim |
| Soft drinks, water | PET | Clarity, low cost |
| Reusable event cups | PP | Impact and wash tolerance |
| Hot-fill or warm drinks | PP, if rated | PET softens at moderate temperatures |
| Cocktails and alcoholic drinks at events | PET or reusable PP | Clarity, or reuse schemes |
For hot drinks, use paper: see single vs double wall cups and the paper cups hub.
What is rPET, and can a cup contain recycled content?
rPET is PET made from post-consumer recycled material, and a cup can contain it if the recycled material is food-contact grade. In the EU, recycled plastic used in food-contact materials must come from a recycling process authorised under Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, so the supplier must be able to show which process the rPET came from.
What rPET changes in practice:
- Clarity and colour can be slightly different from virgin PET, usually a faint tint
- Recycled content share is a specification; a higher share is not automatically better for every cup
- Claims need substantiation: a claim such as "made with 50 % recycled plastic" must be documented and accurate; see the green claims rules in recyclable vs compostable packaging
- The PPWR sets minimum recycled content in plastic packaging from 1 January 2030 at the earliest, with a figure of 30 % for contact-sensitive PET packaging, rising to 50 % from 2040. In the UK, plastic packaging with at least 30 % recycled plastic falls outside the Plastic Packaging Tax
Whether a specific cup counts as "contact-sensitive" for those targets, and how recycled content is calculated and verified, should be confirmed against the final PPWR implementing rules. See PPWR explained.
Is PLA a good alternative to PET for cold cups?
PLA is a plant-based plastic that looks like PET and is used for clear cold cups, but it is not a drop-in environmental upgrade. It is compostable only in industrial composting conditions, softens at lower temperatures than PET, and contaminates the PET recycling stream if it ends up there.
Points to weigh:
- PLA is a plastic under the SUP Directive: bio-based and compostable plastics are not exempt from SUP rules
- Industrial compostability is certified against EN 13432 in Europe and ASTM D6400 in the US; "OK compost HOME" is a private certification. A cup only reaches industrial composting if the venue or city actually collects it separately
- The PPWR allows compostable packaging only for a short list of items (tea and coffee bags, fruit stickers and, optionally, very lightweight and lightweight plastic carrier bags), so for cups the long-term route is recyclability, not compostability
- California's AB 1201 requires a product labelled compostable to be an allowed input under the USDA National Organic Program, which PLA currently is not; CalRecycle has extended this requirement to 30 June 2027 for products containing synthetic substances, so check the status before printing "compostable" on PLA cups for California
- Sorting infrastructure for PLA cups is limited, and mixed with PET it reduces recyclate quality
PLA still fits closed-loop events where a caterer collects cups for industrial composting. For open retail, the usual choice is PET, rPET or reusable PP. More on claims: recyclable vs compostable packaging.
What about polystyrene, and how does it compare?
Clear polystyrene (PS) cups exist, but expanded polystyrene (EPS) cups and containers are banned in the EU, the UK nations and elsewhere. In the EU, EPS beverage cups, including their covers and lids, have been banned since 3 July 2021 under Directive (EU) 2019/904; England's single-use plastics ban covers EPS food and drink containers from 1 October 2023. Solid, non-expanded PS is not covered by those bans but is increasingly avoided by chains for recycling and perception reasons. This range focuses on PET and PP. See single-use plastic cup rules.
How does material choice affect print, lids and recycling?
Material determines print method, lid fit and recycling stream, so changing the material changes all three.
| Choice | Print consequence | Lid consequence | Recycling consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear PET | Dry offset spot colour; white layer needed for opacity | PET snap lid | PET stream; avoid sleeve and heavy ink |
| PP (thermoformed) | Dry offset; matt surface suits opaque colours | PP lid or sealing film | PP stream; limited kerbside acceptance for cups in some markets |
| PP (injection moulded) | Screen print, dry offset or IML | PP lid | PP stream; reusable if designed for it |
| rPET | As PET; slight tint | As PET | PET stream |
| PLA | As PET, with lower heat limits in print process | PLA or PET lid | Industrial compost or residual waste |
Matching the lid material to the cup keeps the cup-and-lid pair in one stream. Lid shapes and rim sizes are in plastic cup sizes and lids.
Which material should you specify?
Pick PET for clear cold cups in open retail, PP for sealed or reusable cups and rPET where a verified recycled-content target applies. Use PLA only where composting is actually collected. Whatever the material, ask for the material's food-contact declaration of compliance at quotation, and confirm that cup, lid and print are documented together. For the documents involved see food-contact packaging compliance.
To get a quote on a cup and lid pair, send drink and serving temperature, target material, sizes and print colours through the plastic cups hub checklist or directly via /contact/.
For hot drinks in paper cups, the lining choice is a separate decision covered in paper cup linings: PE vs aqueous dispersion vs PLA.