SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Waste Management (WM) has officially added polypropylene (PP) plastic cups and paper-to-go cups to the list of materials accepted for recycling through its nationwide collection network, in a move aimed at increasing curbside recycling volumes and diverting more recoverable materials from landfills.
According to WM, although its facilities have been receiving paper and plastic cups for years, they were not previously listed as approved recyclable items due to sorting challenges. Recent upgrades and automation investments at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) now allow the company to more efficiently identify, separate, and bale these cups for downstream processing. The company noted that both PP cups and paper cups have gained value in the recycling market, with end users demonstrating stronger demand than ever before.
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WM has been accelerating its modernization efforts, investing approximately $1.4 billion to build new automated MRFs and enhance existing facilities across the United States. These improvements have positioned the company to handle a broader mix of recyclable materials while increasing processing speed and recovery accuracy.
Paper cups collected through WM’s network will supply mills operated by major industry players including Pratt Industries, Smurfit WestRock, and Sonoco—companies that rely heavily on recovered fiber to support manufacturing operations.
The announcement follows a similar decision earlier this year by the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), which formally added paper cups to its national material specifications list, helping standardize handling across the recycling sector.
Other recycling providers, such as Rumpke Waste & Recycling, have already rolled out acceptance of paper and plastic cups in select service areas. However, several major industry operators still have not included plastic cups on their mainstream recyclable materials lists. WM expressed optimism that the move will motivate additional haulers and municipalities to adopt PP plastic and paper cup recycling at curbside.
The expanded list represents another step forward in strengthening the circular economy, WM said, and is expected to reduce contamination and improve recycling rates nationwide.
