Cold Cups, Juice Cups and Straws: A Guide for Cafés and Juice Bars

For cold drinks you have two main choices: clear plastic cups, usually rPET, or PE-lined paper cold cups. Clear cups show off iced coffee and smoothies and pair with dome or flat lids. Paper cold cups suit soft drinks and events. Whichever you choose, the lid must match the cup rim, often 95mm on clear juice cups, and a paper straw finishes the drink.

Here is how to pick the right cup, lid and straw for each kind of cold drink.

In this guide

• Should I use clear plastic or paper cold cups?
• Which clear cups work for iced coffee and smoothies?
• Which lid do I need, flat or dome?
• When do paper cold cups make sense?
• Which paper straw should I use?
• FAQ

Should I use clear plastic or paper cold cups?

	Clear plastic (rPET or PP)	Paper cold cups
Look	Shows the drink, great for iced coffee and smoothies	Opaque, plain or printed
Lids	Flat lids, dome lids, sip lids	Flat lids with straw slot
Best for	Iced lattes, smoothies, bubble tea, juice	Soft drinks, water, events
Recycling	rPET is widely recyclable when clean	PE-lined, so not ordinary paper recycling

Many cafés use clear cups for anything they want customers to see, and paper cold cups for fountain drinks and water.

Which clear cups work for iced coffee and smoothies?

Clear juice cups are sized in ounces like hot cups, and grouped in ranges that share a rim size and lid. Our range includes:

• 9oz squat juice cups on a 95mm rim, for smaller smoothies, fruit pots and desserts.
• 12oz and 16oz rPET juice cups on a 95mm rim, the standard iced coffee and smoothie sizes.
• 7oz to 9oz clear rPET cups for juice and samples.

Always buy lids from the same range code as the cups, such as JC2 or JC4, so the fit is right. Browse the full range in plastic cups.

Which lid do I need, flat or dome?

• Flat lid with straw slot: for iced coffee, juice and soft drinks. Stacks well and is least likely to leak in a bag.
• Dome lid with straw slot: for drinks with cream or toppings, like frappes and whipped iced drinks.
• Sip lid: lets customers drink without a straw, which means one less item to buy.
• Dual sip and straw lids: one lid that works both ways, so you only stock one.

Match the lid diameter to the cup rim. Clear juice cups often use 95mm lids. Our paper cold cups use 80mm or 90mm lids depending on size.

When do paper cold cups make sense?

Paper cold cups are the easy choice for soft drinks, water and large events. They are cheap, light and stack neatly. Ours are PE-lined to stop them going soft, from 9oz up to 22oz. See the range in paper cold cups and event cups.

For water coolers and sampling, small cups are all you need.

Which paper straw should I use?

Single-use plastic straws are banned in Ireland under EU single-use plastics rules, so paper is now the norm. The main choices are width and wrapping.

• 6mm straws for soft drinks, juice and iced coffee.
• 8mm straws for thicker drinks like smoothies and milkshakes.
• Individually wrapped straws for takeaway and delivery, where hygiene matters.
• Short cocktail straws for bars.

More on the rules in our latte levy and single-use plastic guide. For hot drinks, see coffee cup sizes.

Frequently asked questions

What cups are best for iced coffee?

Clear rPET cups with a flat or dome lid with a straw slot. They show off the drink and seal well.

What size cup is used for smoothies?

12oz and 16oz clear cups are the most common smoothie sizes. 9oz squat cups suit smaller portions.

Do cold cup lids fit all cups?

No. Lids must match the cup rim diameter and range. Buy lids from the same range as your cups.

Are plastic straws banned in Ireland?

Yes. Single-use plastic straws are banned under EU single-use plastics rules, so businesses use paper straws instead.

Which paper straw is best for milkshakes?

A wider 8mm, 4-ply paper straw. It holds up better in thick drinks.