Community Partnership | Carolinas
Example of artwork that can be used for resident communications.
FPI is working closely with local material recovery facilities (MRFs) and paper mills in North and South Carolina to add paper cups as an acceptable item for residential curbside and drop-off recycling. This effort includes understanding operational and equipment setup, end market availability and cost effectiveness.
As FPI engages each MRF and recycling program, there may be additional opportunities to add or promote additional take-out items as acceptable for recycling, such as plastic cups and containers, molded fiber egg cartons, paper bags, pizza boxes and other paper containers.
Since 2023, FPI has partnered with various communities in North and South Carolina to launch educational campaigns informing residents about the acceptance of clean and empty paper cups for recycling. The community education campaigns utilized tactics that inform and engage residents and have included a mix of press releases, launch events, social media, informational videos, digital ads, mailers, billboards, flyers, and other tactics. FPI works with each community to find the appropriate campaign mix and develop communication materials based on research and best practices.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C.
FPI’s first partnership in the region was with New Hanover County, North Carolina, which serves over 97,000 households. Collected recyclables are sent to Sonoco Recycling for processing. Recovered material is supplied to the Sonoco paper mill in Hartsville, South Carolina, where it is converted into new products, advancing the circular economy in the region.
With support from FPI’s communication grant, the county launched a campaign to raise awareness about the newly added material to its curbside recycling program. The initiative kicked off at the 2023 Carolina Recycling Association (CRA) conference in Wilmington and featured a press conference with representatives from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Sonoco Recycling, and Wilmington’s sustainability program.
As part of the county's outreach and education campaign, residents saw a variety of messages about the enhancements to their recycling program. Communication channels included county billboards, social media posts, video animations, in-person tabling events (such as an Earth Day festival featuring sticker and postcard handouts), and window clings displayed in coffee shops.
CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C.
Next, FPI worked with the Republic MRF in Conover, North Carolina, to add paper cups as an acceptable commodity for residential curbside recycling in Catawba County. This effort included understanding operational and equipment setup, end market availability and cost effectiveness.
Catawba County, which serves over 63,000 households, expanded its recycling program to include paper cups. The county’s recycling program already accepted other foodservice items, such as paper bags, pizza boxes, and plastic cups.
Supported by an FPI communications grant, the county launched an outreach campaign to remind residents to recycle clean and empty items. The campaign included flyers, brochures, a customized educational video, social media, and digital ads.
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SC
In 2025, Spartanburg County became FPI’s first community partner in South Carolina by adding paper cups to its drop-off recycling program. With this addition, over 125,000 households can now recycle paper cups, along with the foodservice items that were already accepted. These include pizza boxes, paper bags, paper containers such as sandwich and fry boxes, drink carriers, plastic cups and containers, and aluminum foil trays and containers.
With support from an FPI communications grant, county residents will see messaging reminding them to recycle only clean and empty items at drop-off locations. Outreach efforts include a customized recycling video, a revamped recycling flyer, social media campaigns, digital ads, and updated signage featuring the newly accepted materials.
Once collected, paper cups are sent to local MRFs for processing, including Sonoco Recycling in Spartanburg, Pratt Recycling in Duncan, and Canusa Hershman in Wellford. After sorting and baling, the recovered paper is sent to the Sonoco paper mill in Hartsville.
FPI is continuing to work with other stakeholders in the region to increase awareness of these additions and expand the reach of educational campaigns.
