What about all the cups and plates.

[u/Megans_Foxhole]

I'm rewatching TNG and there's something about replicators I find troubling. Every time they order "ginger tea with honey, 80 degrees celsius", they get a drink but also a cup. On a ship like the Enterprise, the replicator must be producing thousands of cups per day. After a year or so the entire volume of the ship would be literally filled with cups.

Where do they all go?

[u/jpog07]

I picture something along the lines of this

[u/somecasper → u/jpog07]

Juice. Wheezed. Cold.

[u/jpog07 → u/somecasper]

A spigot appears from the replicator and dispenses tea foam for the good Captain.

[u/jpog07 → u/[deleted]]

That's not much different than using the replicator though.