Cincinnati-based Rumpke Waste & Recycling has announced that it will begin accepting disposable paper, plastic and aluminum cups in most of its curbside and drop-box recycling programs.

According to a news release from Rumpke, the company says recent innovations in paper and plastic recycling have resulted in commitments from end users to accept and recycle more materials. The recycler says more paper mills have pledged to recycle paper cups, and advances in plastic recycling have increased the demand for additional types of plastic products.

“As a recycling leader, Rumpke is constantly working with end-users to develop solutions for expanded recycling opportunities,” says Jeff Snyder, Rumpke director of recycling. “Our commitment to our recycling operation remains a top priority.”

In 2021, Rumpke expanded its program to accept tubs made from polypropylene (PP). The company invested about $2 million to install robotics at its material recovery facility in Cincinnati to sort plastic containers from the rest of the recycling stream, particularly focused on PP scrap.

Snyder adds, “With consumer-driven demand for more environmentally friendly options, more and more companies are transitioning to polypropylene cups.”  

Rumpke says it will accept paper and plastic beverage cups from fast-food restaurants as well as plastic souvenir cups and Ball brand aluminum cups. The company says paper cups processed at its recycling facilities will be made into cardboard and paperboard products, plastic cups will be used to make new plastic containers and aluminum cups will be used to make aluminum cans.

Additional guidelines for the company’s expanded program include:

• plastic lids should be reattached to plastic cups;
• plastic lids from paper cups should be removed and discarded;
• straws and stoppers are not accepted;
• Solo-brand cups are not accepted because they are made of polystyrene ,and the company does not have a secure, long-term end-user for that material;
• ceramic and glass cups are not accepted;
• K-cups are not accepted;
• paper cups are not accepted in Northeast Ohio where Rumpke partners with a third-party processor to process materials; and
• no cups will be accepted in central Kentucky where Rumpke partners with Kentucky-based Lexington's Recycle Center to process materials.

Other items currently accepted in Rumpke’s program include plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, cartons, glass bottles, glass jars, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper, paperboard and cardboard.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, says it is encouraged by the U.S. Senate’s Committee of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) hearing to discuss proposals to improve domestic recycling and composting programs.

According to SWANA, this marks the first congressional hearing focused on recycling in 2022.

The purpose of the hearing, which takes place Feb. 2, is to review legislative proposals to bolster U.S. recycling and composting programs and, specifically, the Recycling Infrastructure & Accessibility Act and the Recycling & Composting Accountability Act.

SWANA says it supports the overall goals of these bills to expand access to recycling programs through federal funding and to generate more robust data on these programs and recycling facilities.

“Although recycling markets strengthened considerably in 2021, municipal recycling programs are at risk as local governments continue to struggle with insufficient infrastructure, public confusion about programs, and labor challenges, among other issues,” states David Biderman, SWANA executive director and CEO. “Congressional action that supports efforts to expand and improve recycling programs and systems in the United States are welcome. SWANA looks forward to working with Senate and House leaders to craft legislation that achieves those objectives.”

SWANA will be reviewing the draft bills and communicating with EPW in the coming days with input from its members.

HP Inc., headquartered in Palo Alto, California, says it has acquired Choose Packaging, a packaging development company and inventor of what HP describes as the only commercially available zero-plastic paper bottle. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Choose’s patented technology provides an alternative to plastic bottles and can hold a wide variety of liquid products. The paper-based bottles, which can be made from virgin or recycled pulp, depending on what the package demands, “pave the way for a new standard for bottling solutions globally,” according to HP.

“This acquisition is a great example of how we continue to strengthen our capabilities in attractive verticals like sustainable packaging while also driving progress against HP’s broader sustainability goals,” says Savi Baveja, chief strategy and incubation officer, HP Inc. “Choose has built a truly differentiated technology and we are excited to welcome this talented team to the HP family.”

Other companies have introduced paper bottles recently, including Ecologic, Manteca, California, and U.K.-based Pulpex. However, the Ecologic bottle also contains recycled plastic, while the Pulpex bottle is made from sustainably sourced wood pulp.

Photo courtesy of HP Inc.

HP says it is well-positioned to disrupt the $10 billion fiber-based sustainable packaging market. The company introduced its 3D printing-enabled Molded Fiber Tooling Solution designed to bring customizable, fiber-based products to market faster and more affordably.

With the integration of Choose into its Personalization & 3D Printing business, HP says it will focus on scaling its technology and customer footprint to expand the addressable market, noting that more than 150 million tons of single-use plastics are produced each year.

“As a plastic-free packaging development company, we’ve successfully created technology that can provide a viable alternative to plastic bottles to help eliminate single-use PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging,” says James Longcroft, founder and managing director, Choose Packaging, headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. “HP’s world-class capabilities and expertise can help scale our impact at a global level. We are thrilled to join the HP team and couldn’t have chosen a better match in terms of our shared goals for business, technology, sustainability and a values-oriented culture.”

Choose works with many large global companies, including Accolade Wines, one of the biggest wine companies in the world with more than 50 brands available in more than 130 countries; Henkel, one of the world’s largest consumer and industrial goods companies; Malibu Rum, one of the strategic international brands in Pernod Ricard’s global portfolio; and many more.

“At Accolade Wines, we put innovation and sustainability at the heart of everything we do in our mission to be the world’s most innovative wine company,” Sandy Mayo, chief marketing officer, Accolade Wines, says. “We are excited to see Choose join a recognized leader like HP who puts these topics at the top of its agenda. Consumers are demanding more sustainable alternatives, and we look forward to continuing our work together to be the first wine company globally to deliver 100 -percent-biodegradable packaging across some of our leading brands including Banrock Station and Hardys.”

“Henkel drives active progress towards a circular economy by creating smarter packaging for the benefit of people and the planet,” adds Berthold Schreck, R&D vice president of laundry care, Henkel. “Choose and HP bring together a game-changing combination of packaging technologies, and we are excited to collaborate to develop new sustainable packaging solutions and reduce plastics in our consumer goods products.”

A new deposit-return system (DRS) for beverage container recycling started Feb. 1 in Latvia. Last year, that nation’s government appointed a business unit of Norway-based Tomra Group as the reverse vending machine (RVM) technology provider for the initiative.

Plans made by Latvia and Tomra call for more than 1,000 RVMs to be installed in the Eastern European nation on the Baltic Sea. Latvian consumers will pay an extra 10 cents when purchasing a beverage covered by the DRS. That amount will be refunded to them when they return the empty bottle or can for recycling.

Latvia aims is to achieve a return rate of more than 90 percent for eligible containers, says Tomra, which it calls in line with targets in the European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive set for 2029.

The country’s new deposit system accepts non-refillable and refillable glass bottles, plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Latvia’s DRS launch follows other EU DRS activity in 2021, with Slovakia unveiling its DRS system at the start of last year. Also at the start of 2021, Germany expanded its program to include more types of beverages and containers.

Tomra estimates its RVM investment in Latvia at around €20 million ($22.6 million), including the construction and installation of some 1,046 RVMs and 186 custom outdoor kiosks. Return locations in Latvia are at grocery stores.

Comments Eero Nõgene, CEO of Tomra Collection Latvia SIA, “As well as our great spirit of cooperation, the experience gained from Lithuania’s deposit return system launch six years ago helped us a lot to make Latvia’s roll-out a success. The system in Lithuania still works following the same high technical standards, values and quality as originally promised to the customer. Our job in the coming months is to get the system up and running as smoothly as possible to provide consumers with a convenient return service.”