The campaign supports a recent regional recycling update that added hot and cold paper cups, along with plastic to-go cups, to the list of accepted materials. The expanded guidelines apply across MARC’s nine-county and 119-city region, giving residents another way to keep valuable materials out of landfills and help turn them into new products. The campaign is supported by a communications grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI).
After collection, cups and other accepted foodservice packaging are sorted at local Waste Management and GFL material recovery facilities and gathered in bales with other items of the same material type. They are then sold to manufacturers to be made into new products. Paper items can become paperboard, cardboard boxes, tissues or new take-out containers. Plastic items may be turned into new containers, clothing, furniture or building materials.
A public campaign for daily routines
“To-go cups are part of everyday life for most residents, and now they are part of the region’s recycling stream,” said Matt Riggs, outreach coordinator for the district. “This campaign gives residents the information they need to take a small daily action that adds up across the metro area.”
Campaign materials will show residents how to recycle clean, empty paper and plastic cups, along with other accepted foodservice items such as paper bags, molded fiber drink carriers and aluminum foil packaging. Messaging will emphasize simple, proper recycling habits: empty all liquid from cups; place plastic lids, straws and stirrers in the trash; and put accepted recyclables loose in recycling carts. Outreach efforts will include recycling videos, social media content and animations, billboards and digital ads, and English- and Spanish-language radio spots.
Moving the food packaging industry toward sustainability
“The MARC Solid Waste Management District represents the kind of model partnership FPI is committed to scaling nationwide, pairing local action with a broader strategy to expand cup recycling education and access across the country,” said Natha Dempsey, president of FPI. “By adopting these practices, the Kansas City region strengthens the case for foodservice packaging sustainability and moves the entire industry closer to a future where recovery is the standard.”