The hidden meaning behind the circles on plastic cups

The hidden meaning behind the circles on plastic cups…
The grooves on plastic cups represent the reference unit of measurement for alcoholic beverages: ounces. The correct amount indicated for a certain product.

We all try to use less plastic to reduce our environmental impact but let’s try to unravel an age-old mystery related to plastic cups: why are there circular lines on the glass? The explanation is really fascinating because they are guidelines.

Guidelines for alcoholic and spirits

We tend to think that the lines on the glass are used to give us greater control over our grip but this is just a pleasant “side effect”. The engineers who first worked on the creation of plastic cups did not think about “grip” but about “dosage”.

The circular lines on the glasses are simply used to dose alcoholic and spirits. The first lines, the ones at the bottom, are used for bitters or for smooth spirits, because they correspond to about 30 milliliters; the upper ones for drinks and non-alcoholic drinks because the lines reach a capacity of up to 360 milliliters. So the lines on the glasses are used to guide us to understand the quantity of liquid and, possibly, to make us avoid exaggerating in the consumption of alcohol. Another secret concerns the quantities: these glasses have been “institutionalized” in Anglo-Saxon countries so we must calculate in ounces and not in liters.

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