08/17/2026
🚫 Cold Cup Trap! Why YOU can’t trust your eyes when recycling. 🚫
Just like hot coffee lids, cold drink lids are not all the same plastic! 🥤
We see folks assuming that because they all have the same job (and often look sorta similar), they belong in the same bin.
🚨 They do NOT.
There are three main kinds of cold lids, each typically a different resin:
1️⃣ The crinkly, opaque lid is usually a 6 (PS - Polystyrene).
2️⃣ The thicker, slightly cloudier clear lid is often a 5 (PP - Polypropylene).
3️⃣ The thin, crystal clear lid (frequently with the raised lip, tho not always) is usually a 1 (PETE/PET - Polyethylene Terephthalate).
BUT… “typically” or “often” isn’t good enough. Numbers and letters MUST be verified before you drop in a specialty recycle bin.
Why is this due diligence non-negotiable for specialty recyclers like James, Ridwell, P3, and others?
Contamination destroys the efforts of recycling. 💔
Sorting incorrectly makes unnecessary work for staff/volunteers and can ruin an entire batch, sending it all to the landfill.
If YOU are dropping off recycling, YOU are responsible for doing the work to sort it properly BEFORE you get to the drop-off point!
I know it’s frustrating and difficult because those damn numbers/letters are ridiculously small and hard to find. That is the manufacturer’s fault and often done intentionally — that is a whole other story and post for another day…
In the meantime, please take the extra few moments to verify the resin code (the recycling numbers/ letters — 1/PETE, 2/HDPE. 4/LDPE, 5/PP & 6/PS). It is the ONLY way these efforts work!
Like I said, I know the manufacturers make this hard, so your BEST BET? Avoid these single-use lids as much as possible. Advocate for reusable options and Bring Your Own!
