If you’re in Toronto, you can now toss your disposable coffee cups and fountain drink cups in the blue bin, thanks to a new pilot that launched. This comes after years of confusion about coffee cup recycling that’s required constant messaging from cities — including Toronto — and media outlets about what disposable drink vessels can and can’t be recycled.
The pilot is being run by Circular Materials, a non-profit industry-governed group that is taking over responsibility for collection and recycling of materials through the blue box system in Ontario. It’s part of a transition to a recycling system funded and run by brands that produce packaging — including fast-food chains and retailers — by 2026.
Paper beverage cups lined with plastic, for both hot and cold drinks, are now accepted for recycling at home (including in apartment buildings), long-term care homes, retirement homes and elementary and high schools in the City of Toronto, but not in surrounding parts of the GTA. The cup recycling program is expected to be expanded to all of Ontario by 2026, and to similar containers such as ice cream cups.