Comments on: I Am Not a Paper Cup, But I Sure Look Like One

By: class factotum

class factotum — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:20:18 +0000

I don’t know why wet paper wouldn’t be recyclable. I worked for a paper company and paper is soaked in water to make pulp. There may be something in the recycling process specifically about this of which I am unaware.

Our research dept was working on milk/OJ cartons and waxed corrugated boxes (used for corn and other produce that is run through cold water to stop the ripening process before it’s shipped to stores and used for wet storage).

What kind of coating would be waterproof and recyclable? The problem is that you want a box that will not disintegrate in water (one that will hold liquid or stand up in moist storage) and then will pulp for recycling later. So you want it to Not A and then to A. How do you do that?

I was laid off four years ago, so don’t know if they’ve made any progress. Probably not much. They probably laid off all the scientists, too.

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:05:53 +0000

It’s one way to green an office, Tara!

By: Tara

Tara — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:53:40 +0000

These are awesome! Perfect gifts for co-workers for the holidays!

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:49:44 +0000

Good to know, Emily!

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:06:05 +0000

No, I’m afraid you can’t recycle used paper coffee cups. Nothing wet or with food residue on it. As for the lids, if they’re marked for recycling, that’s fine, but a lot of places only accept numbers 1 and 2, and so many of the supposedly recyclable plastic items I encounter are number 5, or other types. Point being, just because it’s plastic, doesn’t mean it can go in the plastic bin.

That said, I love these cups.