C O M M U N I T Y R E C Y C L I N G U P D A T E: P A P E R A N D P L A S T I C C U P S A R E N O W W E L C O M E!
Good news for the Millcreek community: WM now accepts paper and plastic cups in your curbside recycling program! This exciting update is part of a national initiative with major brands and sustainability stakeholders to make to-go cups widely recyclable across the country.
Why Are Paper and Plastic Cups Accepted Now? WM is expanding what is accepted to better serve communities like Millcreek Township. Here’ s why paper and plastic cups are now part of the recycling stream: Brands are switching materials: Many companies are moving away from foam and adopting recyclable paper or plastic cups. WM is executing on plans to invest over $ 1.4 billion from 2022-2026 in new and upgraded recycling facilities with advanced sorting technology that is expected to process material, including cups, more effectively and increase the capacity available to serve our customers. End markets demand for these materials are growing: U. S. manufacturers want recycled paper and polypropylene( PP) materials to make new products. illcreek
MILLCREEK TOWNSHIP NEWS
WM ACCEPTS Hot and cold beverage paper cups( e. g., coffee cups with sleeves and soda cups) Plastic cups made from polypropylene( PP)( e. g. cold drink cups for soda and iced coffee)
NOT ACCEPTED Foam cups( Styrofoam) Rigid polystyrene(# 6) Lids, straws, and stoppers Liquids( Empty out)
How do recycling centers know paper cups belong with paper not bottles and cans? Do machines really sort that out? Many modern recycling facilities use advanced optical sorting technology to improve how materials are identified and directed. Most WM facilities use a strategically placed optical sorter just before the container line to detect fiber-based items, including paper cups, and redirect them into the paper stream.
While paper cups are technically 3D objects, their behavior during sorting depends on their physical condition: Crushed or flattened cups mimic 2D items and are sorted with other fiber materials. Uncrushed cups may initially follow the container line path, but optical sorters can still identify and recover them as fiber.
Ultimately, the system is designed to recover paper cups regardless of whether they follow a 2D or 3D sorting path. This ensures that cups are correctly sorted into paper bales and sent to mills for recycling.
Where do recycled cups go? What are the end markets? After being accepted by a paper mill, the paper cups can be turned into cereal boxes, facial tissue, corrugated boxes, and new paper cups. Plastic cups can be used to make paint cans, plastic lumber, pallets, crates, and garden products!
MILLCREEK ❘ SPRING 2026 21