Is plastic cheaper than paper?

Why do all the food places hand out plastic cups instead of paper? It's something that's gonna be used once but it will last in the environment forever. Seems stupid. Paper is cheap too, why doesn't anyone use paper cups? Is it part of a conspiracy? Plastic leeches xenoestrogens into the environment. Maybe this is why even the so-called straight guys nowadays are borderline or closet homos. It's like every guy's sexual orientation is questionable in one way or another.