WM expands recycling acceptance to include to-go cups

Waste Management has added polypropylene plastic cups and paper to-go cups to its list of accepted recyclable materials, a move that could allow more communities to recycle beverage cups curbside.

The update affects WM-served areas, including Goodyear and Litchfield Park, as local municipalities decide which materials are accepted in their recycling programs.

Polypropylene cups are nearing a widely recyclable designation, which would indicate that more than 60% of U.S. residents have access to curbside recycling for the material. 

The recycling partnership reports households generate similar amounts of polypropylene and high-density polyethylene, but polypropylene is recycled at a lower rate.

WM said the cups are increasingly appearing at recycling facilities and will be sorted and sold to end markets for remanufacturing.

Visit wm.com for more information.