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Happy National Coffee Day! Are Single-Use Coffee Cups Recyclable?
We love our coffee, and we might be a pretty grumpy group without it. In fact, a whopping 64% of Americans enjoy a cup of joe every day. A lot of that java is enjoyed in single-use, to-go cups that pile up in our landfills. So, what’s an environmentally conscious coffee drinker to do?Byline: BTB Editor
September 24, 2019 / Time to read: 5 minWe love our coffee, and we might be a pretty grumpy group without it. In fact, a whopping 64% of Americans enjoy a cup of joe every day.¹ And while coffee gives a feel-good jolt of energy, it leaves in its wake an unimaginable amount of single-use cups that pile up in our landfills.
So, what’s an environmentally conscious coffee drinker to do? Well, first, choose to reuse whenever possible. It’s always best to enjoy your java (or tea) in a reusable cup. Get out your favorite coffee mug! By doing this, you’re helping prevent about half a trillion single-use cups from potentially entering the waste stream.²
When a reusable coffee cup isn’t an option, take note that only certain parts of single-use cups are recyclable. For example, most paper cups are coated with plastic to prevent leaks, which means they belong in the trash. Still, the lid and paper sleeve generally are recyclable. On the chill side, most plastic cold cups and their lids are recyclable, but plastic straws are a no-no for the recycling bin because they’re too small to make it through the sorting equipment. Rule of thumb: Anything smaller than a credit card should never be placed in the recycling bin.
Understanding what can and cannot be recycled in curbside recycling is tricky. So, here are the Do’s and Don’ts of Single-Use Cup Recycling:
- Do recycle: plastic hot cup lids, (most) cold cup lids, (most) plastic cold cups and cardboard sleeves. Just be sure these are empty, clean and dry of liquid residue.
- Don’t recycle: straws, hot coffee cups and polystyrene foam cups
Check out the graphic below to understand what parts of single-use cups are recyclable.
A lot of companies understand that single-use anything is a significant problem and are developing ways to reduce this type of packaging, including making compostable to-go coffee cups available in the near future.
When it comes to recycling, everyone plays a part. In 2018 Republic Services launched the Recycling Simplified education campaign to help consumers get back to the basics when it comes to recycling. The website
If you want to help, choose to reuse and enjoy your coffee from your favorite reusable cup and feel twice as good!
1. FoodandWine.com:
2. Ecoffeecup.com:
