In Example 15.5, we did not take into account recycling or disposal costs or benefits. Do you think his conclusions would change if these were included?

Example 15.5

The energy needed to manufacture a reusable cup is significantly greater than that required to manufacture a disposable paper or foam cup as shown in the Table. For a reusable cup to be an improvement over a disposable cup on an energy basis, you have to use it multiple times. Determine the number of uses required for the energy per use of a reusable cup to become less than for a disposable cup (this is called the break-even point) if it takes about 180 kJ of energy to wash a single cup in a commercial dishwasher.

Energy Required to Manufacture a Cup
Cup Type .............................. kJ/Cup
Ceramic .............................. 14,000
Plastic ................................... 6,300
Glass .................................... 5,500
Paper ...................................... 550
Foam ...................................... 190