WM adds PP and paper cups to curbside recycling lists – Resource Recycling, Inc.

Report on Expanded Curbside Recycling and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Advancing SDG 12 through Enhanced Waste Management

A significant initiative is underway to expand curbside recycling programs to include polypropylene (PP) and paper to-go cups. This development directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. By diverting a prevalent single-use item from landfills, this program aims to substantially reduce waste generation and promote a circular economy, aligning with Target 12.5.

Infrastructure and Innovation: Supporting SDG 9

Investment in Sustainable Infrastructure

To facilitate this expansion, a $1.4 billion investment has been allocated to upgrade recycling infrastructure across North America. This commitment aligns with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, which calls for building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. The investment focuses on enhancing the capabilities of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to handle previously challenging materials.

Technological Advancements

The upgraded facilities will be equipped with advanced technology to improve sorting efficiency and material quality. Key technologies include:

• Optical scanners for precise material identification.
• Intelligent sorting equipment to separate cups from the broader waste stream.

This technological integration is crucial for making industries more sustainable (Target 9.4) by enabling the effective processing of multi-material items like coated paper cups.

Collaborative Efforts: A Model for SDG 17

Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships

The success of this initiative hinges on robust collaboration, reflecting the principles of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. A broad coalition has been formed to ensure a coordinated rollout and widespread public adoption. Key partners include:

• Corporate Leaders: Starbucks
• Non-Profit Organizations: The Recycling Partnership, Closed Loop Partners
• Industry Bodies: Foodservice Packaging Institute, How2Recycle
• Governmental Bodies: Municipalities, National League of Cities

This partnership model (Target 17.17) is essential for aligning industry practices, municipal guidelines, and consumer behavior to achieve shared sustainability objectives.

Implementation Strategy

The program’s strategy is structured around three core pillars:

1. Infrastructure Development: Ensuring facilities possess the capacity to accept and recycle paper and plastic cups.
2. Access Activation: Expanding collection services to a broad customer base.
3. Public Education: Updating recycling guidelines and educating consumers on proper disposal to minimize contamination.

Impact on Municipalities and Communities: Fostering SDG 11

Enhancing Urban Waste Management

By incorporating to-go cups into curbside programs, this initiative directly contributes to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. It helps reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities by improving municipal waste management (Target 11.6). However, the rollout requires municipalities to update pre-existing contracts and material acceptance lists to align with the new capabilities.

Challenges and Educational Imperatives

A primary challenge is ensuring the quality of the collected materials. Contamination from food residue and non-recyclable components like straws can undermine recycling efforts. Therefore, a significant focus is placed on public education. Clear and consistent messaging is vital for teaching residents to properly prepare cups for recycling (i.e., empty and clean). This educational component is fundamental to boosting diversion rates and achieving the goals of responsible production and consumption (SDG 12).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The article highlights WM’s $1.4 billion investment in new recycling infrastructure, including “upgraded state-of-the-art recycling facilities” with “optical scanners and intelligent sorting equipment” to handle new materials.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The initiative focuses on improving waste management at the municipal level by expanding curbside recycling programs to include paper and plastic cups, directly impacting how cities handle waste.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The core theme is promoting sustainable practices by creating systems to recycle single-use items like to-go cups, thereby reducing waste generation and encouraging a circular economy.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article explicitly mentions WM’s collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including “industry leaders like Starbucks, The Recycling Partnership… municipalities and the National League of Cities,” to achieve its recycling goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and processes.
   • The article details WM’s $1.4 billion investment to upgrade its facilities with “new, advanced sorting technology” like optical scanners and intelligent sorting equipment. This investment is a direct effort to make the recycling industry more efficient and capable of handling complex materials, aligning with the goal of upgrading infrastructure for sustainability.
2. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • The expansion of curbside recycling to include to-go cups is a direct improvement in municipal waste management. The article notes that this will “boost diversion” and “improve reported recycling rates,” which reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, thereby lessening the environmental impact of cities.
3. Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
   • The entire initiative is centered on increasing recycling. By adding paper and PP cups to the “universal list of accepted recyclable materials,” WM is directly working to reduce waste generation that ends up in landfills. The article states the goal is to change the behavior of people who “may not think twice about throwing away a takeout coffee cup.”
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The article provides a clear example of this target in action. It states, “WM is collaborating with industry leaders like Starbucks, The Recycling Partnership, How2Recycle… as well as municipalities and the National League of Cities to drive awareness and update recycling guidelines.” This multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for the program’s success.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 11.6 & 12.5:
   • Implied Indicator: Increased recycling and diversion rates. The article explicitly states that adding cups to curbside programs “can help boost diversion and may improve reported recycling rates.” This serves as a direct measure of progress in reducing municipal waste.
   • Implied Indicator: Volume of new materials collected. The “increase in recoverable material” as cups are diverted from trash to recycling bins is a quantifiable indicator of the program’s impact.
2. For Target 9.4:
   • Mentioned Indicator: Financial investment in sustainable infrastructure. The article specifies a “$1.4 billion” investment in new recycling infrastructure, which is a direct measure of the resources allocated to upgrading industry technology.
   • Implied Indicator: Number of facilities upgraded. The goal to have “all of its single-stream recycling facilities accepting paper and PP cups by mid-2026” implies that the number of upgraded and capable facilities is a key performance indicator.
3. For Target 17.17:
   • Implied Indicator: Number and scope of partnerships formed. The article lists several partners (Starbucks, The Recycling Partnership, municipalities, etc.), indicating that the formation and activation of these collaborations are a measure of success for the initiative.
   • Implied Indicator: Updated municipal guidelines. The article mentions that WM is pushing “city officials to update their guidelines.” The number of municipalities that officially change their accepted materials lists serves as a concrete indicator of the partnership’s effectiveness.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: resource-recycling.com