09/14/2026
Let's talk about plastic cup recycling.
Some plastic cups are recyclable in your Shawnee County curbside bin. Others are not. How do you know the difference?
If it's a clear plastic cup with a #5 on the bottom, rinse it out, let it dry, and put it in your recycling bin.
If it does not fit that description, it doesn't go in your curbside bin. Not if it has a #1 on it. DEFINITELY not if it's a Solo cup with a #6 on it.
(Is that correct, Shawnee County Solid Waste? Let us know if there are exceptions!)
If the lid on the cup also has a #5 on it, reattach it to the cup and recycle it all together. If it has a different number, don't do it. And don't put any lids loose in the recycling bin. Keep lids attached to their containers if you want them to be recycled.
Finally, straws. Straws never go in your curbside bin. Don't poke them down inside the cup thinking that's a sneaky way to get them recycled. It won't work. (Sorry. We wish it did!)
So to recap, what goes in your curbside bin? #5 plastic cups. Rinsed clean. No straw. No lid if the lid is a different type of plastic.
What do you do with all of those cups and cup parts that don't go in your curbside bin? Bring them to Full Circle, and we can recycle them for a pretty reasonable fee.
If you'd like to watch the video behind this helpful image and hear useful recycling information straight from the Director of Shawnee County Solid Waste, see the link in the comments. The section on plastics starts at 1:12, with #5 plastic starting at 1:49.
