Polypropylene cups earn a widely recyclable designation, expanding access to curbside recycling programs across the country.
More communities across the United States can now recycle cold to-go cups, marking a significant step toward reducing waste and building a more circular economy. Driven by collaboration among How2Recycle®, the NextGen Consortium managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy, The Recycling Partnership, Starbucks and WM, cold beverage cups are entering a new phase of recyclability.
Polypropylene beverage cups, widely used for cold drinks, have received the Widely Recyclable designation from How2Recycle®, North America’s most recognised on-pack disposal label. This designation means that more than 60% of U.S. households can now recycle these cups through curbside or drop-off recycling programmes.
Over the past four months alone, these collective efforts have expanded recycling access to more than 2 million additional households. Overall access to polypropylene cup recycling has increased by over 10% in recent years, reflecting unprecedented cross-industry collaboration.
The milestone represents coordinated action across the value chain. The NextGen Consortium brought together major brands, including Starbucks, to develop solutions that advance circular foodservice packaging. The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition has invested for over five years in recycling infrastructure, education and system data to unlock polypropylene recycling. How2Recycle® ensured clear, consumer-friendly recycling guidance, while Starbucks leveraged its scale and sustainability commitments to accelerate adoption.
WM, North America’s largest recycler, helped develop end markets with KW Plastics, built processing infrastructure and enabled communities to add cups to curbside recycling programmes.
“Expanding access, improving infrastructure and strengthening consumer communications takes collaboration across the value chain,” said Paul Nowak, executive director of GreenBlue, the nonprofit behind the How2Recycle® programme. “No single organisation can do this alone. By investing in infrastructure and consumer-tested communications, we’re driving industry and behaviour change at scale.”
According to The Recycling Partnership’s State of Recycling Report, households generate nearly as much polypropylene as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), used in items such as detergent and milk bottles. However, polypropylene’s recycling rate is only about one-third that of HDPE, highlighting the importance of closing this gap.
Each cup recycled reduces plastic waste in landfills and waterways, improves material quality and lowers demand for virgin plastic. Increased acceptance and recovery also help reduce contamination and support broader global efforts to curb pollution.
“Achieving the Widely Recyclable designation for polypropylene cups is a significant milestone,” said Marika McCauley Sine, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks. “It shows what’s possible when businesses, recyclers and communities work together to reduce waste and make recycling easier for customers.”
While reaching 60% household access is a major achievement, stakeholders stressed that more work remains to expand coverage nationwide. Continued collaboration will be required to improve consumer participation, update community recycling guidelines and strengthen end markets.
Industry leaders noted that improving cup design, increasing recycled content, supporting consistent consumer education and implementing effective recycling policies will be essential to ensure that every cup is not only recyclable, but actually recycled.
News Courtesy : Green blue