Plastic Cups Other Recycling Check the symbol on the bottom of the cup first! Hard plastic cups labeled #1-6 are accepted in recycling. Make sure they are free of liquid before putting them in the bin! If this cup is made of “compostable” #7 PLA plastic, it should go in the landfill. These cups frequently have a green band around them. Though designated compostable, the PLA material can’t properly break down in Richmond’s composting facility where we send our waste. Sustainable Berkeley Lab is currently working with the Cafeteria and eBuy to eliminate these cups from our site. Check out this post to learn more about the subject. Ways to Reduce Purchase Reusable Cups Red Cup Living makes a reusable cup that looks like the classic red Solo® cups. Consider purchasing these cups as an alternative to the disposable cup, in order to reduce your plastic waste. 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 and a neurotoxin for humans. Find out more from EJnet.org.