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Aug 20, 2023

Brunswick County Introduces Curbside Paper Cup Recycling

Expanded recycling program increases recycling for more than 57,000 households MEDIA RELEASE BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC — Over 57,000 households in Brunswick County can now place clean and empty paper cups

Expanded recycling program increases recycling for more than 57,000 households

MEDIA RELEASE

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC — Over 57,000 households in Brunswick County can now place clean and empty paper cups in recycling bins for curbside collection. The county is the third community in North Carolina to join a growing trend of communities expanding curbside recycling programs to include paper cups. This expansion is made possible through a partnership with the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), a leading industry association working to increase recovery of foodservice packaging.

“We’re excited to join this initiative to expand curbside recycling programs and add paper cups to our acceptable materials list,” Brunswick County Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator Rebecca Ladson said. “With this partnership, our community now has the opportunity to preserve valuable materials and prevent them from ending up in landfills.”

As a result of this initiative, residents throughout the county are now able to recycle paper cups, in addition to the foodservice packaging items that were already accepted, such as pizza boxes, paper bags, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) cups and containers, and aluminum foil food packaging.

The County will launch an outreach campaign to inform residents of what is recyclable through the expanded program and remind them that all recyclables should be clean and empty when placed in recycling carts. Brunswick County will kick off the campaign on August 14, 2023, and will feature updated recycling flyers, social media posts, and digital animations.

“We are proud to partner with Brunswick County to increase recycling efforts by adding paper cups to residential recycling programs and raising awareness about recycling foodservice packaging items,” Foodservice Packaging Institute President Natha Dempsey said. “By empowering residents with knowledge and skills, we can divert valuable materials from landfills and advance the local circular economy.”

Brunswick County sends collected recyclables to Sonoco Recycling for processing. Recovered paper will be supplied to the Sonoco paper mill in Hartsville, South Carolina, where it will be converted into new products, including tubes and cores for paper, textiles, specialty films and other wound products, as well as uncoated recycled paperboard.

Learn more about recycling in Brunswick County at brunswickcountync.gov/recycling.

About Brunswick County

Brunswick County is a prosperous, vibrant, and forward-thinking community that offers opportunities to enhance and sustain the highest quality of life for residents. We are consistently one of the fastest-growing counties and offer one of the lowest property tax rates in North Carolina. We provide the highest level of service to support an active, dynamic, and thriving community with services ranging from water and wastewater, health and social services, code administration, planning, emergency services, parks and recreation, and more. In cooperation with our local and regional partners, we collaborate to provide responsive and efficient services that support and advance the development of our community’s educational, recreational, and economic prosperity.

About Foodservice Packaging Institute

Founded in 1933, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is the trade association for the foodservice packaging industry in North America. FPI promotes the value and benefits of foodservice packaging and plays an active role in advancing the recovery of FSP to support the circular economy. The association serves as the industry’s leading authority to educate and influence stakeholders. Members include raw material and machinery suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and purchasers of foodservice packaging. For more information, visit www.FPI.org.

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For media inquiries, contact Communications Director Meagan Kascsak at 910.253.2995 or email [email protected].