Paper Coffee Cup
Question:
I know the Kane County recycling guide says paper cups for hot and cold beverages are now recyclable because of advances in technology that can handle the plastic coating insides of those cups. Is Kane County just speaking for their recycling program/centers, or do all Kane County municipalities and their various waste haulers (e.g., Waste Management, LRS, Groot, etc.) also now accept these commercial paper coffee cups?
City of Elgin’s Original Answer:
At the moment I can just speak for WM. Regarding paper cups with wax coatings, Elgin residents can now recycle paper cups through curbside pickup.
I will check with Kane County on whether this applies to all Kane County municipalities and their waste haulers.
Speaking with WM, they said depending on where you are in country, recycling capabilities vary and depend on whether mills accept them from the processors.
The wax coatings on paper packaging is difficult for a paper mill to break down during their pulping process; however, WM can accept them in the curbside programs for Elgin residents.
Again, I will be checking with Kane County, but in the meantime, let us know if you have additional questions.
City of Elgin’s Follow-up Answer:
Yes, paper cups in curbside carts should be across the board for all municipalities in Kane County. It’s really more of a change in what the markets/end processors of post-consumer paper are able to accept than it is a change with the waste haulers and recycling sorting facilities.
None-the-less, LRS, WM, and Groot are all on record as accepting paper cups now. Small haulers like Flood Brothers maybe have not updated their information yet, but they are dealing with the same markets as everyone else, they should also be able to accept clean/empty paper cups at curbside recyclable in the county.
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You are invited to participate in The Elgin Watchman’s “To Recycle Or Not To Recycle?” community project for 2024 Elgin Earth Month. It is easy to do, and only takes you a few minutes. Everything is explained in our inaugural blog post. CLICK HERE to learn how.