Recyclable Polypropylene Cups
How2Recycle Shares That Homes Can Now Recycle Polypropylene Cups
Kanesa D — February 3, 2026
Polypropylene (PP) cold beverage cups have now earned the 'Widely Recyclable' label from How2Recycle, indicating they can be recycled in most curbside programs. The designation, issued by nonprofit GreenBlue, reflects years of coordinated effort across the foodservice and recycling industries to make these cups easier to recover and reuse.
The NexGen Consortium, which includes companies such as Starbucks, focused on improving the circularity of foodservice packaging for its part of the project. The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition invested in recycling infrastructure, education, and system-wide data to expand PP recovery. How2Recycle ensured clear, consumer-friendly labeling, while Starbucks used its scale to speed adoption of more sustainable packaging.
“Achieving the ‘Widely Recyclable’ designation for polypropylene cups is a significant milestone,” says Marika McCauley Sine, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks. “It reflects what’s possible when businesses, recyclers and communities work together to create solutions that can reduce waste and make recycling easier for customers who opt for to-go beverages. [...]”
