Sip, recycle, repeat: UK Recycling to tackle coffee cup waste on campus
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 24, 2025) — In an effort to boost recycling rates on campus, University of Kentucky Recycling, a department within Facilities Management, is launching a coffee cup recycling awareness campaign in partnership with UK Dining. This initiative, which begins today, aims to educate the campus community on the recyclability of both paper and plastic coffee cups, encouraging proper disposal practices on campus.
Coffee cups at UK Dining establishments will carry informative stickers to reinforce the message that the cups can be recycled in any of UK’s blue mixed recycling containers. As part of the campaign, locations will also feature unique banners highlighting the recyclability of the coffee cups they use. Participating coffee spots across campus are:
- Cup of Commonwealth (The Cornerstone Building)
- William T. Young Library Starbucks
- Healthy Kentucky Research Building Starbucks
- Kentucky Clinic Starbucks
- Einstein Bros Bagels in the Chemistry-Physics Building
- PJ’s Coffee at Rosenburg College of Law
- PJ’s Coffee at Gatton College of Business and Economics
The need for this campaign was identified through UK Recycling’s Oscar AI units, which found that in 2024, paper and plastic coffee cups were among the top five least recycled items on campus. This data-driven approach underscores UK Recycling’s commitment to designing effective education and outreach initiatives.
“For many years, people on campus were encouraged not to recycle paper and plastic coffee cups at UK. However, since we switched to a different recycling partner in 2022, we can recycle many more items, including all coffee cups,” said Ryan Lark, zero-waste specialist senior in Facilities Management. “I’m hoping this campaign will be a strong push to show people how far we’ve come in what you can now recycle at UK.”
Key reminders for the UK community:
- Coffee cups with ice still in them can be recycled.
- Straws are not recyclable.
- Coffee cups should be placed in any of UK’s blue mixed recycling containers.
- Recycling guidelines on UK’s campus may differ from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG).
Beyond cup recycling, all participating coffee shops also compost their used coffee grounds, which are processed by UK Recycling’s composting operation and later used by UK Grounds to enrich campus flower beds.
For more information on UK recycling programs and sustainability efforts, visit https://recycleblue.uky.edu/.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.