Paper cups can now go in your blue recycling bin in Manitoba

People in Manitoba can now start putting a new item in their blue recycling bins: empty paper cups, from things like Slurpees, fountain drinks, coffee and more.

Paper cups can now go in your blue recycling bin in Manitoba Change came after 20 years of work to address hurdles, Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba director says People in Manitoba can now start putting a new item in their blue recycling bins: empty paper cups, from things like Slurpees, fountain drinks, coffee and more. Christa Rust, executive director of Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba, said Wednesday she thinks getting rid of the long-standing recycling exception in the province will be significant — largely because some people already thought paper cups were recyclable.

"People figured, 'OK, this is a beverage container, this should go in the bin.' So I think what we're doing is we're helping to reduce the amount of material that's going into the wrong bin now," Rust said. "We feel that this is going to have a fairly big impact.

And we're hoping to be able to continue to make positive strides like this as we move forward, as well." Rust said empty paper cups can now go in residential blue bins and public recycling bins, as long as non-recyclable lids or straws get separated and go in the garbage. Biodegradable cups also have to stay out of the recycling.

However, sleeves from hot beverages can be recycled alongside their paper cups, she said. While paper cups are a common item, Rust said they've historically been difficult for recycling programs because of plastic linings and dyes used in some cups. The change allowing them to be recycled in Manitoba comes after recycling partners in the province confirmed they can be sorted with mixed paper — an approach Rust said has already been taken in other jurisdictions.

Coffee cups are now accepted for recycling in Toronto Coffee cups can now be recycled in Calgary's blue carts "There is more of a tolerance for mixed paper to have different colours and a little bit of a plastic layer — and then that could be made into a new material," she said. Rust said the change to accept paper cups starts immediately, and her organization has notified municipalities about the update. The City of Winnipeg said in an email the recycling program expansion was developed in partnership with Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba and the Recycle Everywhere program, run by the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association.

Both groups are non-profit, industry-funded organizations that support recycling programs. A city spokesperson said clear plastic beverage cups and clear lids for cold beverages like iced coffee can also now be recycled, but noted paper or plastic straws, coffee cup lids, foam cups and any black plastics still have to go in the trash. Recycling Styrofoam being considered Meanwhile, Rust said work continues on potentially allowing even more items into Manitoba's blue bins.

Her organization has put forth a transition plan about potentially allowing plastic foam like Styrofoam into the recycling too, Rust said, and is awaiting notification on whether that will be approved by the province. But materials like black plastics are more challenging, in part because the black conveyor belts used in recycling facilities make those materials difficult to detect. On that front, Rust said work is underway to develop recyclability standards for producers, to help ensure materials going into the market are as easy to recycle as possible.

"We are hoping to bridge that gap by taking the approach of providing those resources for producers, so that they can choose more sustainable solutions," she said. A spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes said in an email the provincial government applauds Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba's efforts around paper cups. Diverting additional materials from landfills is good for the environment and supports the province's net zero goals by reducing methane emissions, the statement said.

The province is still reviewing the request to add Styrofoam to the list of recyclables in the province, the spokesperson said. With files from Meaghan Ketcheson