this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2026
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Mildly Interesting
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Also you cannot recycle pizza boxes. This was one of the reasons why China started refusing cardboard from the US for recycling. The grease screws up the recycling process and basically the batch is ruined.
That's a pretty old rule. Last decade or so most recycling programs support and encourage pizza box recycling. Check with your local center.
"No food contact" in my area. Clean cardboard only.
do you.. not recycle any food packaging??
I recycle any food packaging my local recycling facility permits.
I mean if the recyclers state "no food contact" I'm assuming yes... Heck are they supposed to do
Usually my pizza comes on wax paper or the like, and the box is either grease free or close enough (like a tiny spot or two).
Or it's frozen/refrigerated, and wrapped on plastic, so, again, the box goes in recycle.
I don't put soiled things in recycle, but you can't tell, cause it rains often and everything ends up looking fucked.
In my locale, take-out pizza is usually provided directly on the interior surface of the pizza box, and so any grease spilling between slices or over the sides (garlic butter sauce on the crust dripping over the edge of the crust, for example) lands directly on the box.
And they literally put it in the box, telling me to recycle it.
Pizza boxes are technically recyclable, it’s just that they have to be recycled differently to other recyclable products due to the food particulates left behind on the boxes, and also other recyclable products cannot be contaminated by the same food particulates, hence why they likely have a separate section for pizza boxes.
I find this hard to believe, but I've also done zero research. I have, however, dropped off many old pizza boxes at various places, and they always accept them for recycling. Maybe it's just more expensive and labor-intensive, but I doubt it's impossible...
That rule varies by location. Some facilities can handle pizza boxes, but not all of them can. It’s best to call your local facility to make sure.
Maybe the special slot allows them easy separation and then they burn it.
Where I live we’re now supposed to put pizza boxes in the yard waste/civic compost bin