Recycling Pizza Boxes, Paper Cups, and Other Paper-Based Takeout Containers

There are still lingering questions surrounding what can and cannot be recycled when it comes to paper-based foodservice packaging and takeout containers. Can you recycle pizza boxes, even if there is a bit of grease on the bottom of the box? What about paper cups with the “coating” that keeps liquids hot and prevents the cup from leaking? Doesn’t the grease, food residue, and coatings just ruin the batch of recycling? A lot of this uncertainty stems from the fact that recycling is a hyperlocal activity and variability of material acceptance can differ from city to city. This is, in part, due to the differences in the types of equipment at MRFs and mills, and the recycling information available to residents. The variability causes mixed messages to float around, and in turn, causes confusion and many debates that FPI is working hard to alleviate.