In Finland in the 1960s, Huhtamaki began making paper cups. These findings, as well as the decrease in the risk of cross-infection, led to the use of the paper alternative in hospitals. In 1942 a study by the Massachusetts State College found that using single-service paper cups cost less than sanitizing glassware for re-use in hospitals, which was the practice at the time. The 1930s saw this creation develop further, from the invention of a paper cup with handles, meant to mimic mugs used for hot drinks, to the creation of the Solo Cup, a paper cone. This fear of disease-causing germs brought even greater interest in disposable paper cups. In the US, nearly one in three people was infected, and the epidemic claimed over half a million lives.
In 1918, the Spanish flu killed between 50 and 100 million people around the world. Building on this, the two partners embarked on an advertising campaign to market the cooler spreading the word about the health benefits of disposable drinking cups, which resulted in a US patent for Luellen’s paper cup in 1912. This led to the creation of the American Water Supply Company of New England and initiatives by the two dispensing individual servings of water from a tall porcelain cooler they developed. It was Luellen’s brother-in-law, Hugh Moore, who demonstrated the prototype paper cup to Dr Crumbine. Crumbine jumped out of his seat, snatched the container from the wall, and declared that both the common cup and basin would be banned by the state. When a healthy little girl drank from the cup, the story goes that Dr. One anecdote tells how as he was riding on a train across Kansas, he noticed a number of passengers with tuberculosis drinking water from a common drinking cup which was shared with healthy passengers. Samuel Crumbine, one of the founding fathers of modern public health, started campaigning against the use of common cups as part of his fight against tuberculosis. In response to growing concerns about communal cups posing a danger to public health, a Boston lawyer named Lawrence Luellen crafted a disposable two-piece cup from paper in 1907. Communal cups or dippers made from metal, wood, or ceramic were used to drink the water. Promoted as a healthy alternative to beer or liquor, water was available at school faucets, fountains and water barrels on trains and wagons. During the early days of the 20th century, drinking water had become increasingly popular thanks to the emergence of the temperance movement in the US. The modern paper cup traces its roots to the end of the American Civil War. However, a quick look at its history will reveal that this functional product came about during a similar crisis and has been a hygienic choice ever since. At first glance, the paper cups we use today may not appear to have anything to do with the current situation.
Paper cup was developed as a life-saving technology in the early 20th century, and it is delivering the same health and safety values still today.Īs the world is learning to live and cope with the coronavirus, staying clean and safe is at the top of everyone's mind.