The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) updated its materials specifications to explicitly include paper cups in residential paper recycling streams. The update, published June 30, 2025, adds paper cups to the list of other commonly accepted recycling items like magazines, junk mail, paperboard, and pizza boxes.
ReMA’s recycling specifications are widely used guidance for trading recycled commodities of all types across the United States and internationally. While many material recovery facilities and paper mills follow the specifications outlined by ReMA, the specifications do not automatically change what any individual recycler or community recycling program accepts.
According to Waste Dive, industry stakeholders say formal recognition in ReMA’s specs should help expand both the collection and sale of recycled cups. Cups have been considered difficult to recycle due to the barrier coatings or plastic linings that protect against leaks (FPF reported). With better technologies to design coatings that are thinner and can easily separate from the paper as well as process those products in waste management facilities, it is becoming easier to recycle cups. ReMA’s senior economist, as reported by WasteDive, noted that many cups are made from long, high-quality fibers valued by mills.
The updated specification should expand the availability of paper recyclate going forward but ReMA emphasizes its specs are guidelines for buyers and sellers. The association emphasizes that programs should communicate preparation instructions to residents and assess contamination risk, for instance, the residuals of plastics (including their chemicals) from cup coatings, lids, and sleeves.
Reference
ReMA (June 30, 2025). “ReMA Releases Updates to the ReMA’s ISRI Specifications.”
Katie Pyzyk (July 31, 2025). “What does ReMa’s new paper cup specification mean for packaging companies?” Waste Dive
Read more
Graphic Packaging International (July 28, 2025). “A Major Milestone for Paper Cup Recycling.”
