I know resource wastefulness can be a touchy subject, but I'd like to offer a different perspective. In general I try to be very resource conscious, but during the PPA/PPM I greatly appreciate having paper cups. I obviously carry my own hydration equipment during long training runs, but one day a year, on race day, I really don't want to carry my own hydration. Maybe this sounds petty or selfish, but I want to do my absolute best on race day, and carrying extra weight affects that for me.
The PPM folks already encourage racers to carry their own hydration devices. They say it in writing every year; they include it in emails to all racers. And I believe the majority of racers prefer to carry their own hydration. But the organizers still give racers the choice, and to me, that's the right way to do it.
I do appreciate your comments and am not arguing your point, and I know many feel the same as you, just sharing my preferences.