0.75 oz Paper vs Plastic Portion Cups: Bulk Cost Compared
0.75 oz paper vs plastic portion cups compared: material, case pack, cost per cup, and which to stock for med rooms, dietary, and sample stations.
If you are weighing 0.75 oz paper vs plastic portion cups for a facility, the capacity is identical, the case count is identical, and the price gap is the first thing you will notice. Both cups hold 0.75 oz and both ship 5,000 to a case. What differs is the material, the look, how each handles contents, and what a case costs. This guide compares the two SKUs we stock: CUP-75OZ-SOUF, the white paper souffle cup, and CUP-75OZ-PLAS, the translucent plastic portion cup.
This is a procurement comparison, not clinical guidance. It covers the cups as supplies: material, pack size, cost per cup, and where each fits in a facility's stocking plan.
The short version
CUP-75OZ-SOUF is the 0.75 oz white paper souffle and portion cup, 5,000 per case. It is the opaque, no-see-through option.
CUP-75OZ-PLAS is the 0.75 oz translucent plastic portion cup, also 5,000 per case. It lets staff see the contents at a glance and is the lower-cost line on our catalog.
Spec comparison
| Spec | Paper (CUP-75OZ-SOUF) | Plastic (CUP-75OZ-PLAS) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 0.75 oz | 0.75 oz |
| Material | Paper | Plastic |
| Color | White | Translucent |
| Case pack | 5,000 / case | 5,000 / case |
| Case price | $100.00 | $70.00 |
| Cost per cup | $0.020 (2.0 cents) | $0.014 (1.4 cents) |
| Recyclable | No | Check locally |
| Compostable | No | No |
| Product type | Souffle and portion cup | Souffle and portion cup |
On a per-cup basis the plastic cup is 0.6 cents cheaper, about 30 percent less than the paper cup. On a 5,000-count case that is a $30 difference.
Where the price gap matters, and where it does not
At these prices, the choice rarely turns on cost alone. A facility that goes through one case a month is looking at $360 a year of difference between the two SKUs. A site that goes through ten cases a month is looking at $3,600 a year. The question is whether the properties of the cup earn the premium at your stations.
The paper cup is opaque and white. That matters when you want a uniform look on a serving line or a tray, or when you do not want the contents visible from the outside. The plastic cup is translucent, so staff can see whether a portion is filled, empty, or the wrong item without picking it up. For a high-volume dietary line, that visibility is often worth more than the material.
Neither cup is compostable according to the catalog specs, and the paper cup is listed as not recyclable. The plastic cup is listed as recyclable depending on local programs, so if your municipality accepts it, that is a point in its favor. Check locally before counting on it.
Stocking math for common facility sizes
A 5,000-count case is a lot of cups, so the useful number is how long a case lasts. The table below uses a simple assumption of two portion cups per resident per day, which you should adjust for your own service model.
| Census | Cups per day | Days per case | Cases per quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 60 | ~83 | ~1 |
| 60 | 120 | ~42 | ~2 |
| 120 | 240 | ~21 | ~4 |
| 200 | 400 | ~12.5 | ~7 |
At the quarterly volume for a 120-bed site, four cases of paper cost $400 and four cases of plastic cost $280. At 200 residents, seven cases run $700 for paper against $490 for plastic.
Which to stock where
Stock the paper souffle cup (CUP-75OZ-SOUF) where appearance and opacity matter: condiment and sauce service, sample counters, and any line where a clean white cup is the standard.
Stock the plastic portion cup (CUP-75OZ-PLAS) where visibility and cost per cup drive the decision: high-volume dietary service, tasting stations, and back-of-house prep where staff need to confirm contents quickly.
If your facility uses 0.75 oz cups across several stations, buying both and assigning each to a station is a reasonable approach. The two SKUs share the same capacity and case count, so reorder math is identical and mixing them does not complicate your par levels.
For how these small portion cups differ from the cups used at a med cart, see our souffle cups vs medicine cups comparison. For a broader look at paper, plastic, and wax across the full cup lineup, see disposable cup materials compared. And if you are sizing a larger cup order, wax-coated cups vs plastic cold cups covers the 3 oz and 5 oz SKUs.
FAQ
Do the paper and plastic 0.75 oz cups hold the same amount? Yes. Both are listed at 0.75 oz capacity.
How many cups come in a case? Both SKUs ship 5,000 per case.
What is the cost per cup? At current catalog pricing, the paper cup is $100.00 per case, or 2.0 cents per cup, and the plastic cup is $70.00 per case, or 1.4 cents per cup.
Are these cups recyclable or compostable? Per the catalog specs, neither is compostable. The paper cup is listed as not recyclable, and the plastic cup is listed as recyclable depending on local programs, so check with your hauler.
Can I mix both SKUs in one order? Yes. They are separate SKUs with the same case count, so you can order a case of each and assign them to different stations.
This guide is procurement-side analysis based on catalog data for the SKUs listed. It is not medical advice or guidance on medication administration.