Plastic-coated, single-use food packaging has historically posed challenges for recyclers. However, companies like Georgia-Pacific Professional, in collaboration with the NextGen Consortium and the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), are leading the charge in diverting these materials from landfills and waterways, integrating them into a sustainable, closed-loop system.
Innovative Repulping Process Enables Fiber Recovery
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific Professional—known for consumer brands like Quilted Northern, Angel Soft, Brawny, and Dixie—has developed a specialized repulping process that successfully separates polyethylene (PE) coatings from the fiber in paper cups. This breakthrough allows the fiber to be repurposed into tissue, towel, and napkin products, even if food residue is present.
This advancement means mixed paper suppliers can now accept PE-coated paper cups in their mixed paper bales, provided there is an established market for the materials. Georgia-Pacific Professional is actively encouraging suppliers to collaborate with municipalities to incorporate these products into residential curbside recycling programs.
Expanding Recycling Capabilities at Key Facilities
The recovered fiber will be processed at two Georgia-Pacific Professional paper mills—one in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the other in Muskogee, Oklahoma. These facilities specialize in producing recycled tissue, towel, and napkin products, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainability.
“As we see more mixed paper suppliers, including municipalities and materials recovery facilities, adopt PE-coated cups into their collection programs, we anticipate an increase in cup recycling at our mills,” explains John Mulcahy, Vice President of Sustainability at Georgia-Pacific Professional. “In communities that embrace this change, paper cups could make up between 1% to 3% of an average mixed paper bale.”
While the overall mixed paper recycling capacity remains unchanged, the composition of bales will gradually shift as more PE-coated cups enter the recycling stream. The primary focus is ensuring effective fiber recovery rather than having these cups screened out during processing.
Overcoming Long-Standing Recycling Barriers
This technological advancement is the result of a two-year research initiative aimed at resolving major obstacles in paper cup recycling. Previously, PE coatings and food residue created difficulties in the recycling process. However, Georgia-Pacific Professional’s upgraded equipment and processes now efficiently separate coatings and residues, allowing the valuable fiber to be reclaimed.
Additionally, Georgia-Pacific Professional is partnering with the NextGen Consortium, a coalition of global food and beverage companies managed by Closed Loop Partners. Together, they are exploring next-generation cup designs that eliminate the need for PE coatings altogether. Through extensive repulping trials, the company is testing alternative coatings that are both recyclable and compostable.
Industry Collaboration for Scalable Solutions
This initiative is a significant step in encouraging more recycling facilities to accept paper cups. According to FPI, just over 20 mills in the U.S. and Canada currently process mixed paper bales containing PE-coated cups. Increasing this number remains a key challenge for the industry.
Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, emphasizes the importance of such developments: “Not all mills have the technology to repulp cups from mixed paper bales, so Georgia-Pacific Professional’s efforts send a strong signal that more facilities should consider adopting this capability.”
Since fully recyclable and compostable cup alternatives are still scaling, PE-coated cups will continue to be widely used in the near term. Daly highlights the importance of ensuring viable recycling pathways for all fiber-based cups, whether PE-coated or next-generation designs.
A Collective Effort Toward a Sustainable Future
FPI is working closely with its members, supply chain partners, and recycling stakeholders to establish economically viable and scalable solutions. “The most effective approach is bringing together all key players—MRFs, mills, packaging manufacturers, brands, and communities—to enhance paper cup recycling,” explains Natha Dempsey, President of FPI.
Georgia-Pacific Professional’s unique industry position, as both a producer of paper-based food packaging and a consumer of recovered fiber, enables it to drive meaningful change. By leveraging its industry relationships and conducting extensive recycling trials, the company has demonstrated that paper cup recycling is both feasible and beneficial.
Support from Global Brands
Leading brands, including McDonald’s and Starbucks, have expressed strong support for Georgia-Pacific Professional’s recycling initiatives.
Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks, states, “We’re taking a meaningful step forward with Georgia-Pacific Professional toward reducing paper cup waste. This progress aligns with our vision of a resource-positive future, and we look forward to expanding partnerships that help achieve this goal.”
Similarly, Marion Gross, Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America at McDonald’s, underscores the impact of Georgia-Pacific Professional’s efforts: “Recycling and reusing valuable materials from our cups is essential to our sustainability goals. By integrating single-use cups into the recycling stream, Georgia-Pacific Professional is not only strengthening pathways for recovery but also contributing to the supply of high-quality recycled content.”
As Georgia-Pacific Professional continues to innovate and collaborate with key stakeholders, its efforts are setting a new standard for sustainable food packaging recovery. Through ongoing investments in recycling technology and strategic industry partnerships, the company is paving the way for a future where more paper cups are successfully diverted from landfills and repurposed into essential consumer products.
