reCUP® Recycling Initiative takes major step addressing global paper cup recycling problem
A new closed-loop collection program for reCUPs, paper cups engineered for recycling, gives Southern California businesses a sustainable paper cup solution
Newport Beach, CA, April 9, 2018 — Smart Planet Technologies has launched the first reCUP® Recycling Initiative with support from Southern California based recycling partners, Allan Company, a materials recovery facility (MRF) and Replenysh, a closed-loop collection platform provider.
“Allan Company is pleased to partner with Smart Planet Technologies via the reCUP® Recycling Initiative. Founded in 1963, Allan Company is an industry leader who is constantly looking to identify new recyclable materials and to create new markets to process those materials. Smart Planet Technologies’ reCUP is an innovative fiber cup solution made with EarthCoating® that Allan Company is proud to recycle” said Ryon Hart, Retail Accounts Manager for Allan Company.
It has been estimated that over 15 billion paper coffee cups get diverted to U.S. landfills each year.
Traditional plastic-coated paper cups are typically too difficult for paper recyclers to process through their existing paper recycling equipment. However, reCUPs are made using EarthCoating®, which make them easy to process using todays paper recycling infrastructure, while using 51% less plastic. This affords businesses, retailers, schools, office buildings and venues throughout Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties an opportunity to use reCUPs and have them collected and processed into recycled paper.
“Since post-industrial and post-consumer reCUP materials are easy for paper recyclers to process, and therefore valuable to collect, we’re providing businesses with a way to take responsibility for their waste and close the loop on it. Our platform allows customers to keep track of their landfill diversion impact and potentially participate in revenue sharing for the materials that we collect and sell to the recycling center.” said Mark Armen, owner of Replenysh.
Smart Planet Technologies received the 2017 Green Arrow Award from the California Product Stewardship Council for the development of reCUPs in support of CA landfill waste diversion goals.
Interested businesses may now purchase reCUPs through a variety of domestic and international suppliers including The Recyclable Cup Company, Evelina Eco, CupPrint and Detpak.
About Smart Planet Technologies
Smart Planet Technologies is a materials engineering and intellectual property company focused on material advancements for the packaging industry. Our proprietary EarthCoating® solutions use less plastic and support recyclability initiatives compared to traditional plastic-coated paperboard packaging materials.
About Allan Company
Allan Company believes that recycling has an important role to play in the health of our country and our planet. The more efficient, the more thorough, and the more self-sustaining our recycling efforts are, the more good we can do.
About Replenysh
Replenysh is the next generation reuse and recycling solution. We are creating the building blocks of the circular economy—helping brands close the loop on their products and proving an amazing experience for customers.