In a landmark achievement for sustainability, the Foodservice Packaging Institute has propelled U.S. recycling access for paper cups to a new high: 20 percent of the nation’s population now lives in communities where both single-sided (hot drink) and double-sided (cold drink) paper cups are accepted for recycling.
The 20 percent figure was compiled by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) through reviews of community recycling program guidance and industry announcements. A 2015-16 study commissioned by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), and conducted by RRS, estimated that only five percent of the U.S. population had access to residential recycling programs that accepted paper cups. This progress reflects growing recognition that used paper cups are a valuable material stream that can be recovered and transformed into new paper products like paperboard, paper towels, toilet paper and paper cups.
“Expanding paper cup recycling access in the U.S. is a direct response to growing consumer demand for circular packaging solutions,” said Robbert Rietbroek, president and chief executive officer of Graphic Packaging International. “Investments across the recycling value chain, including Graphic Packaging’s advanced fiber recovery technology, are helping turn used paper cups into new packaging for many leading household brands.”
FPI’s Community Partnership program is a major contributor to reaching this milestone. The program, established in 2017, works to expand access to recycling for takeout containers and other foodservice packaging, like paper cups. To date, over 30 communities have partnered with FPI to engage in productive conversations to ensure haulers, material recovery facilities (MRF) and end markets could accept and process paper cups. The polycoat lining on the paper cups was seen as a barrier to recycling; however, paper mills have invested in testing and technology and can now separate the lining and recover valuable fiber. These efforts, along with conducting community outreach and education, have helped over 8.9 million households across the U.S. to recycle more and recycle right.
In 2018, FPI founded the Paper Cup Alliance (PCA) to accelerate the adoption of paper cup recycling in the U.S. Founding members of PCA, including Clearwater Paper, Dart Container, Graphic Packaging International, Huhtamaki, Novolex, Seda, Smurfit Westrock and Sustana, work to align supply chain partners, develop end markets for recycled materials and engage stakeholders to increase recovery. This engagement resulted in a joint declaration of paper cup acceptance by major paper mill groups, growing North American end markets from four in 2017 to 35 today – representing 75 percent of the North American mixed paper demand.
Recent announcements from major recycling industry stakeholders have also helped to reach the 20 percent milestone.
- WM, Rumpke Waste & Recycling, GFL Environmental, Casella Waste Systems and other haulers/recyclers, declared the acceptance of paper cups for recycling.
- ReMA updated inbound residential single stream and dual stream ISRI specification to include paper cups.
- American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) made a statement on the recyclability of paper cups.
For communities that do not currently accept paper cups for recycling, local leaders are encouraged to engage with solid waste directors, material recovery facility operators and end markets/paper mills. FPI offers a value chain checklist to help communities get started. Working together, stakeholders can explore local processing capabilities and identify pathways to add paper cups to recycling programs.
Published July 2026
