Kent County Department of Public Works, with financial support from the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), have added paper cups to its recycling program. Residents are encouraged to clean and empty their coffee and soda cups before dropping them in a recycling bin or center. “FPI’s 2020 grant helps us to educate our community to participate in paper cup recycling and ensure that paper cups are empty before recycling,” said Kristen Wieland, communications and marketing manager for Kent County Department of Public Works.
Until recently, the paper mills did not have the necessary equipment to separate the plastic lining of the cups therefore the county did not accept these items. Lauren Westerman, resource recovery specialist for Kent County, says the county has taken notice of the popularity of “to-go culture” and how that impacts the items being sent to landfills.