Plastic Cups Put in Garbage Cart/Bin Put in Recycling Cart/Bin Recycle plastic cups only if they are empty and labeled plastic #1 through 5 or non-compostable plastic #7. No need to rinse them. If they are labeled “compostable,” put them in the garbage. Plastic cups made from plastic #6, polystyrene, are not recyclable in San Jose’s curbside program. Put them in the garbage. Ways to Reduce Choose Reusable Cups Red Cup Living makes a reusable cup that looks like the classic red Solo® cup. Consider purchasing these cups instead of disposable ones in order to reduce your plastic waste. Choose Recyclable Cups The Ball Aluminum Cup can be reused or recycled with aluminum cans. Not only is it a more eco-friendly choice than plastic, it will keep your drinks colder, too. Reusable Packaging For Businesses Check out Upstream’s catalog of reusable packaging and unpackaging innovators that provide ways for consumers to obtain products, mostly food and beverages, in returnable, reusable, or refillable packaging – or they deliver products to consumers unpackaged altogether. Did You Know? Plastic #6 Is Difficult to Recycle The United States throws away enough plastic cups and disposable dinnerware to wrap around the Earth three hundred times if stacked together. Why can’t these plastics cups be recycled? Solo cups are made from polystyrene, or plastic #6, which is not recycled by most cities. Plastic in Our Bodies Styrene, a component of polystyrene, has been found in 100 percent of human fat tissue samples dating back to 1986. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and suspected to be both cancerous for humans as well.
