How to Choose a Plastic-Free Coffee Cup for Your Café

Table of Contents

• Why the Lining Matters More Than the Label
• Aqueous, PLA and PE: What's the Difference?
• Which Cup Size Suits Which Drink?
• The White Greenspirit Aqueous Cups
• The Kraft Greenspirit Aqueous Cups
• Don't Forget the Lid
• Which Bin Do Used Cups Go In?
• What to Check Before You Switch
• Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: October 3, 2026

The cup you hand a customer says more about your business than you might think. Cafés are under pressure from customers, councils and EU single-use plastics rules to move away from plastic-lined cups, and the word "compostable" on a box doesn't always mean what people assume.

This guide covers what actually separates one takeaway cup from another, which size suits which drink, and how to pair cups with lids so the whole serve is plastic-free.

Why the Lining Matters More Than the Label

A paper cup needs a lining to hold a hot drink. That lining decides whether the cup is plastic-free, how it can be disposed of, and whether your sustainability claims hold up when a customer asks.

Two cups can both say "compostable" and behave completely differently once they're used. So start with the lining, then look at size and price.

Aqueous, PLA and PE: What's the Difference?

Lining	What it is	End of life
PE	Conventional petroleum-based plastic	General waste
PLA	Plant-based plastic	Industrial composting only
Aqueous	Water-based coating, no PE or PLA	Home or industrial composting

PLA cups are compostable, but only in industrial conditions. The catch is that takeaway cups are used on the go, and most never reach a bin that sends them to an industrial composter. Cups that will also break down in a home compost bin give you more ways for them to end up in the right place.

Which Cup Size Suits Which Drink?

We stock two Greenspirit aqueous-lined ranges: a white cup in 8oz, 12oz and 16oz, and a natural kraft cup in 8oz and 12oz. All five are double wall, so no sleeve is needed.

Cup	Best for	Case of 500	Lid
8oz White Greenspirit	Flat whites, cortados, small coffees	€43.90	80mm
12oz White Greenspirit	Lattes, Americanos, hot chocolate	€45.80	90mm
16oz White Greenspirit	Large lattes, teas, hot chocolate	€53.99	90mm
8oz Kraft Greenspirit	Flat whites, cortados, small teas	€43.80	80mm
12oz Kraft Greenspirit	Lattes, Americanos, hot chocolate	€45.80	90mm

Prices are at the time of writing. That works out at roughly 9 to 11 cent a cup, which is more than a standard PE-lined cup. The double wall means you skip the sleeve, which claws a little of that back.

The White Greenspirit Aqueous Cups

The white range is the one to standardise on if you want a clean look across every size. Greenspirit specifies the cups as home compostable within 24 weeks and industrially compostable within 12 weeks, with no PE and no PLA in the lining.

8oz

The 8oz White Greenspirit cup holds 227ml. It suits flat whites, cortados and small coffees. Too small for a big latte, so pair it with a 12oz.

12oz

For most cafés, the 12oz White Greenspirit cup is the one that carries the day. At 340ml it covers lattes, Americanos and hot chocolates, which is most of what a typical café sells.

16oz

The 16oz White Greenspirit cup holds 473ml for large lattes and takeaway teas. It's the dearest per cup, and plenty of customers find 16oz too much, so stock it alongside the 12oz rather than instead of it.

The Kraft Greenspirit Aqueous Cups

Same aqueous lining, natural brown finish. Some cafés like the kraft look because it signals the eco angle without a word on the cup.

The 8oz Kraft Greenspirit cup suits flat whites, cortados and small teas. The 12oz Kraft Greenspirit cup covers lattes, Americanos and hot chocolates. There's no 16oz in kraft, so if you need a large size you'll be mixing finishes.

One honest downside: kraft shows coffee drips and fingerprints more than white, which some operators find untidy at a busy counter.

Don't Forget the Lid

A plastic-free cup is only half the job if the lid is polystyrene. We stock aqueous-coated paper lids in two sizes:

• 80mm Plastic-Free Aqueous Paper Lids for the 8oz cups
• 90mm Plastic-Free Aqueous Paper Lids for the 12oz and 16oz cups

These lids have no PE or polystyrene, but they aren't certified compostable. They're designed for the paper stream rather than the compost bin.

Which Bin Do Used Cups Go In?

This is where a lot of "eco" cups fall down. Irish waste guidance from MyWaste.ie treats ordinary paper coffee cups as general waste, while cups certified as compostable can go in the brown food waste bin. The lid needs checking separately.

For your own premises, the practical setup is simple: put used compostable cups in your food waste or compost collection, and confirm with your waste collector what they accept. If customers can compost at home, the Greenspirit cups suit that too.

What to Check Before You Switch

• Lining type: Aqueous, PLA or PE. Ask the supplier, don't assume from the word "compostable".
• Proof: Ask for the spec sheet and certification behind any compostable claim.
• Size fit: Match cup size to your menu, and lid diameter to the cup rim.
• Your bins: Make sure your waste contract has a food waste or compost collection.

If you sell to the public, the same care applies to what you tell customers. Since 27 September 2026, EU rules on environmental claims (Directive 2024/825) mean green claims on menus, signage and websites need to be specific and capable of being backed up. This is general information, not legal advice.

At DiscountTillRolls.ie we hold both Greenspirit ranges and their matching lids in stock at our Dublin 12 warehouse. Orders placed before 1pm, Monday to Friday, are dispatched the same day, with free next-day delivery across Ireland on these lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are compostable coffee cups actually eco-friendly?

It depends on the lining and where the cup ends up. Many compostable cups use PLA, a plant-based plastic that only breaks down in industrial composting. Aqueous-lined cups, like the Greenspirit range, have no PE or PLA and are specified as home compostable as well as industrially compostable. Either way, a compostable cup only delivers its benefit if it goes into a compost or food waste collection rather than general waste.

What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable coffee cups?

Biodegradable means a material will eventually break down, with no set timeframe or guarantee about what it leaves behind. Compostable means it breaks down within a defined period under set conditions, which should be backed by a certification. When comparing cups, look for specific claims, such as home compostable within a stated number of weeks, and ask for the paperwork behind them.

Can paper coffee cups be recycled in Ireland?

Ordinary paper coffee cups are treated as general waste under Irish guidance, because they are a composite of paper and plastic. Cups certified as compostable can go in the brown food waste bin. Check the lid separately, and confirm with your waste collector what they accept for your premises.

Will switching to plastic-free cups avoid a cup levy?

No. The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 gives the Government the power to introduce a levy on single-use cups, and any such levy is aimed at disposable cups whatever they are lined with. Reusable cups are the way around a levy, not a different disposable. Check gov.ie for the current position before making plans around it.