Disposable cups can now be recycled in new Toronto pilot program, but experts worry it’ll do more harm than good – NOW Toronto

A newly launched recycling initiative in Toronto sounds good on paper, but raises multiple questions about how it will be executed, an environmental expert says. 

Earlier this week, it was announced that residents can now recycle both hot and cold paper-based and plastic-lined coffee cups at home and other eligible locations. 

As of July 3, the city added beverage cups to its Blue Bin Program, allowing residents to toss the cups into recycling bins at city-serviced locations such as buildings, religious organizations and parks, according to its website. 

The pilot project, created by producer responsibility organization Circular Materials, marks the first step towards incorporating these materials in recycling systems across all Ontario municipalities by 2026, the organization said. 

The amount of waste generated from this material will be significantly reduced through this pilot, the organization says, and that the project will enhance recycling efficiency across the province overall. 

“We’re excited to introduce this pilot that allows Torontonians to recycle hot and cold beverage cups,” Chief Executive Officer of Circular Materials Allen Langdon said in a news release. 

“This pilot not only expands the range of recyclable materials accepted in Toronto but also sets the stage for broader recycling advancements across Ontario.”

Sally Krigstin, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and expert in biomaterials, says she is skeptical on how Circular Materials will carry out its plan. Looking at the website, she pointed out how there isn’t any information on how exactly it plans to recycle the materials, if there’s a new process that is different than what’s been done before or if there’s even a new facility for this. 

“So much of what goes into our blue boxes are not recycled, even though they go into the box,” Krigstin told Now Toronto on Friday.. “They’re being collected, but then just disposed of. It’s very hard to tell from the information what exactly they’re going to do with the material.”

Previously, many were unaware that coffee cups were not recyclable but threw them in blue bins anyway. Krigstin worries that this initiative could be counterproductive towards waste reduction, as through the recycling process, many materials may still end up in the garbage regardless. 

“People aren’t throwing in the materials that are allowed, but even the allowed materials are not recycled. The items go to a recycling facility and they’re sorted, and then actually go to a dump anyway, because a lot of the materials do go to dump from the recycling facilities,” Krigstin explained.  

“So, now you’ve just put a whole extra carbon cost on by taking it and trying to sort it, and then it ends up in the same place the garbage would anyway.”
Before throwing cups into recycling bins, they must be emptied, rinsed and separated from lids or sleeves. Further details on the pilot and beverage cup preparation guidelines can be found on Circular Materials website.