Paper Cup Recycling Hits a Major Milestone

In recent years, there’s been a growing demand for recovered fiber in the United States. And now, thanks to the collaborative efforts of organizations like the NextGen Consortium and the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), the landscape of paper cup recycling is changing for the better.

Picture this: multiple U.S. paper mills have stepped up to the plate and announced that they are now accepting single-use polyethylene (PE)-coated paper cups. This means that those cups you thought were destined for the landfill can now find new life as recycled materials. In fact, more than 40 mills across North America are onboard with this initiative.

Jeff Hilkert, Vice President of Paperboard Sales at Greif Mill Group, highlights the significance of this shift, stating, “The mix of recovered paper we receive has changed dramatically over the last several years, now including much more plastic that we have to separate in the repulping process. Paper cups contain good fiber and are no more difficult to recycle than many of the other prominent packaging categories we see today.”

Historically, paper cups were considered unrecyclable due to their PE lining. However, as mills vie for limited supplies of traditional recyclables like newspaper and office paper, there’s a newfound interest in recovering materials with high-quality fiber, such as paper cups.

Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, emphasizes the importance of strengthening paper cup recovery and recycling efforts. “By pulling materials through the system, mills accepting cups can drive increased cup processing in recycling facilities and cup collection in communities. We are thrilled to see cup recovery reach this important milestone in the United States, moving us closer to a waste-free future,” she states.

But the journey doesn’t end here. The NextGen Consortium and FPI are continuing to work with mills to assess the viability of paper cups in their systems. Moreover, they’re collaborating with stakeholders throughout the value chain, including brands, material recovery facilities, and communities, to ensure that more cups can be recycled, especially in regions where robust end markets exist.

Natha Dempsey, President of FPI, expresses enthusiasm about the growing momentum in paper cup recycling efforts. “Reliable and responsible end markets for cups catalyze new opportunities for community partnerships, especially in regions that previously didn’t have the capability to recycle them,” she remarks.

So, the next time you reach for that paper cup, remember that it could be part of a larger movement towards a more sustainable future. By recycling your cup, you’re not just reducing waste; you’re contributing to a circular economy where resources are reused and repurposed for generations to come.