The 5 Best Compostable Cups for Hot & Cold Beverages

Your average coffee cup or plastic cup sits in landfills for years, sometimes even decades. Making the switch to compostable cups is an easy way to lessen your environmental impact. We’ve got the top product picks to help you get started. Let’s dive in!

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What are Compostable Cups? Why Get Them?

If something is compostable, that means it can break down into nutrient-rich soil when exposed to the right conditions. Organic materials like grass, leaves, food waste, and also plant matter get mixed with water and left in an oxygen-rich environment (outside or at a commercial facility) to decompose. 

Compostable cups, then, are designed with compostable materials. While you can’t toss them in your home compost pile, you can take them to a local composting facility.

You can also feel a little better about using a compostable item than one that isn’t, as it’s likely made of materials that will break down faster and leave less of an environmental impact than other options. Composting is one of the best ways to combat excess food and organic waste, so chipping in where you can makes a difference. 

Top 5 Compostable Cups: How We Chose

As we rounded up this list of our favorite compostable cups, we looked for a few key details:

• Certifications: Our top picks are all Certified Compostable by BPI, North America’s leading authority on compostable products and packaging, or a similar group.
• Materials: Of course, we wanted to see materials that are organic and certified compostable. We also prefer options that aren’t made with any plastics.
• Value: If it’s too pricey, it’s probably not something you’re going to want to buy over and over again.
• Quality: Compostable items might be made of plant-based materials, but they should still be sturdy and strong. 

Our Picks

All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the author and DGHQ editors. However, Do Good HQ may make a small affiliate commission if you click through and make a purchase.

1. Repurpose Compostable Hot and Cold Cups

Our favorite overall pick comes from Repurpose, a brand dedicated to creating green, non-toxic products that “really work.” These compostable cups certainly work for us – they’re perfect for hot and cold drinks alike. 

Highlights

The mint checkered design on these cups is just too cute, and its sustainably sourced materials and BPA-free construction are also hard to beat. Choose from 18-, 36, and also 54-count orders to stock up.

Things to Consider

We love that Repurpose makes it simple to choose the sustainable option time and time again with its Subscribe & Save program. Sign up to receive regular shipments of your favorite essentials at a discount! 

2. Stalkmarket 12 oz Certified Compostable Hot Cups

These simple compostable coffee cups from Stalk Market are another great choice, particularly if you’re looking for cups for the office, a restaurant, or an event. They’re super durable as well as heavy-duty. 

Highlights

Instead of using plastic, the manufacturer makes these cups with a sturdy, sustainably sourced paperboard. They line them with PLA, a renewable bio-resin made from corn plants. Consequently, that means there’s nothing here but plant-based materials!

Things to Consider

Note that the lids for these cups are sold separately. You can find matching lids for the cups pictured here.

3. World Centric 12 oz Compostable Cold Cup

Need something suited to ice-cold beverages? Try these compostable cold cups from World Centric. This value pack is great for bars or restaurants, but if 1000 cups is too many to commit to, you can also choose a pack of 50. 

Highlights

These cups are freezer-safe, which means they’re safe to use with any cold beverage you can think of. They make them from PLA and offer matching lids in different shapes and sizes!

Things to Consider

Keep in mind that you should not microwave these cups or store them in direct sunlight.

4. Matter Compostable Bathroom Cups

These plant-based compostable mini cups from Matter are the perfect addition to your bathroom or bedside table. Ditch the tiny plastic cups and swap to something that’s friendly to the Earth instead. 

Highlights

The plant material used in these cups is gluten-, nut- and also BPA-free. This means, they make them without any PFAS additives, and therefore all resins used are sustainable and natural.

Things to Consider

While the cups themselves may only be compostable at a commercial facility, their packaging is TUV Home certified, which means it’s suitable for backyard composting! 

5. Budget Find: Up & Up 16 oz Compostable Hot Cups

We love these affordable compostable cups from Target as a budget-friendly option. They’re great for hot beverages, but they also do just fine for cold drinks in a pinch.

Highlights

These cups are made with FSC-certified paper materials, which is impressive given their price point. They’re fun to look at and use with their easy snap-on lids and cute designs!

Things to Consider

These cups, like several others on our list, are commercially compostable only. Still, we think they’re a great swap out for your average to-go cup!

How to Choose the Best Compostable Cups for Your Needs

Fortunately, there are lots of compostable cups on the market to choose from. Finding the right match comes down to your needs and preferences. Think about how you tend to use disposable cups and choose something that realistically fits into that routine.

If you’re an avid coffee lover, you’ll probably find an affordable hot cup option a great fit indeed. But if you tend to reach for a reusable coffee cup and rely on disposables for things like parties, you probably want to stock up on something smaller and better suited for cold beverages.

All in all, no matter what you choose, you can’t go wrong with the brands and picks here on our list. Good luck finding the best items for your needs and budget!

Featured image via Repurpose