Relishing the cheesy goodness of pizza is pure joy. The second the delivery person hands over that warm box, our face lights up automatically. Typically, many people drizzle ketchup or extra cheese dip on the cardboard box and indulge in the gooey delight. But if you throw away the box – now splattered with sauce streaks after finishing off the last slice – you might be doing it wrong. A viral Instagram video is spreading awareness that pizza boxes are recyclable, but this one small mistake might make it difficult.
Scrap Uncle, a digital platform that enables users to dispose of their recyclables in a responsible and rewarding manner, shared the video on their Instagram handle. The video explains that the cardboard pizza boxes can be recycled, but “due to the presence of ketchup, it becomes very difficult… as a result, many recycling units refuse to accept them.” They urged viewers not to treat these boxes as plates. Instead, you can put the ketchup directly on the pizza slice, or use separate plates.
More About Recycling Pizza Boxes
Items like cardboard boxes, newspapers, pizza boxes, magazines and paper bags are widely accepted for recycling. It is important to note that the pizza boxes should have only a small amount of cheese and grease on them. As per a WestRock study, pizza boxes with about 2% grease are deemed recyclable.
How Do You Recycle Pizza Boxes?
To recycle pizza boxes, you need to remove the crust, pepperoni and other toppings – aka all the 3D waste, explains G-Bioenergy. The reason? These can contaminate other recyclable items. Although optional, you can also flatten the boxes to save space.
In case the bottom is overly greasy (more than 2%), you need to trim those parts and dispose of them in a regular garbage bin. The remaining portion of the box can be recycled. However, when boxes become too soggy, it is better to put them in the trash so as not to spoil the entire batch of recyclables.
Also Read: Why You Should Never Throw Away Food Delivery Boxes Without Doing This First
Additionally, several pizzerias have upgraded their boxes for recycling purposes. Some now attach an extra removable layer of corrugated cardboard at the base. After you are done eating the pizza, you can easily remove this layer and throw it into a regular bin. This keeps the rest of the box clean, making it easier to recycle.