FPI teamed up with the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) to develop the Design Guide for Foodservice Plastics Recyclability. This guide was developed to support packaging design, selection, and purchasing decisions

Guide

Efforts to collect and sort paper coffee cups for recycling could boost an already high paper recycling rate in the U.S.

As pandemic restrictions ease and you start heading back into the office, you may also find you’re frequenting your local coffee shop more often. While you’re sipping your latte, you may wonder … are paper cups recyclable?

MRFs, paper mills and other stakeholders are working together to ensure viable recovery pathways and bring paper cup recycling into the mainstream.

The Cincinnati-based company will accept disposable paper, plastic and aluminum cups in most of its curbside and drop-box recycling programs.

For years, the message has been that paper coffee cups are not recyclable because of the polyethylene coating that makes them more durable and heat-resistant. The process for that is starting to change — and improve — as the right technology becomes more widely available and more MRFs (materials recovery facilities) begin accepting these cups.

A number of major recycled fiber consumers have stated their willingness to accept plastic-lined paper cups in mixed-paper or carton bales.

The program expansion is supported in part with a grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute and the Carton Council of North America.

Paper cups can now be placed into curbside recycling bins in the city of Madison.

With help from the Carton Council and the Foodservice Packaging Institute, more than 70 percent of Michigan households can recycle paper cups and food cartons.

The city says it is now among more than 2.75 million Michigan households that can recycle more items thanks to a partnership with the Carton Council of North America and the Foodservice Packaging Institute.

The city has partnered with the Foodservice Packaging Institute to include paper cups to its curbside recycling program.

Emterra Environmental has opened a new Material Recovery Facility in the City of Lansing.

ACC is now able to send disposable paper coffee and soda cups to a facility that turns them into cardboard boxes.

Through a partnership with the Foodservice Packaging Institute ACC Recycling will also be able to recycle paper cups, to-go food containers and paper items such as cup carriers and egg cartons.

This event and initiative is supported by both the Foodservice Packaging Institute and Coca-Cola North America to promote sustainability and recycling.

The Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) and project partners released results of their PET Thermoform Cost and Material Flow Analysis study.

Kent County has added clean, empty paper cups to its list of acceptable items in its recycling program.

Kent County residents can now recycle paper coffee and soda cups.

Kent County Department of Public Works, with financial support from the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), have added paper cups to its recycling program.