Webinar Recording: Expanding Community Recycling Access & Participation
Resources Referenced in Webinar
Paper and plastic cups, pizza boxes, molded fiber drink carriers, and other takeout containers help us get our to-go meals back home conveniently and safely. But what happens once we get home and finish the meal? Are we tossing the empty cups and containers into the recycling bin or the trash? Are these materials accepted in recycling programs?
The quick answer is, they can be recycled!
FPI hosted a webinar in August 2025, sharing actionable pathways, resources, and tools to expand the acceptable materials list in community recycling programs to include takeout cups and containers. Attendees heard insights from actual communities and material recovery facilities (MRFs) that have already walked the pathway of adding materials to their programs, overcoming obstacles, and seeing progress with resident participation and recovery rates. Additionally, FPI shared a checklist of actions designed to help connect communities, MRFs, and end markets, along with the updated Resident Education Kit that can inspire residents to confidently recycle those empty takeout containers.
Panelists Included:
Ashley Elzinga, FPI (moderator)
Denise Young, Athens-Clarke County, GA
Patrick Leahy, First Star Recycling, NE
Maggie Orozco, RRS
Click the video below to begin watching, or watch the recording on the FPI YouTube Channel.