How long does it take for cardboard cups to dissolve in the land fill?

Answer 1

A styrofoam coffee cup can take up to 1 million years to decompose. It will eventually break down, but the time it takes is so long that we can safely say it is not biodegradable. A paper cup will decompose much more quickly, so whenever possibly you should try to use paper cups. A glass coffee cup will take between 1-2 million years to decompose, and a plastic jug will take approximately 1 million years to decompose.

Scientists are currently working on discovering a type of plastic that will break down more quickly. There have been some breakthroughs although nothing is currently available on the commercial market.

Read more: http://greenanswers.com/q/36336/recycling-waste/landfills/will-coffee-cup-eventually-break-down#ixzz2BUblFKD0

Not only does Styrofoam take such incredible amounts of energy to break down, this material consumes 25 percent of our landfill space.

For an idea of how long it takes a paper cup to break down, a piece of paper takes about 3 months to decompose. In the ocean environment, it may take about 2 months for a cardboard to break down.

Read more: http://greenanswers.com/q/36336/recycling-waste/landfills/will-coffee-cup-eventually-break-down#ixzz2BUbyfFQT