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MORE +Pizza lovers have yet another reason to embrace Pizza Night: it’s now officially established and recognized that pizza boxes are indeed recyclable.
2024-07-05
Pizza Night is a cherished tradition for many American families—and this year, it’s proving to be an especially popular choice for consumers looking to either stay home or cut back on dining out. We’ve learned that pizza lovers now have yet another reason to embrace Pizza Night: pizza boxes are officially recognized and approved as recyclable.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has corrected a common misconception: the belief that cheese and grease adhering to cardboard boxes negatively impact recyclability. A study conducted by AF&PA and WestRock, a member company of the FBA, found that typical levels of these contaminants are acceptable, and paper mills that recycle these cardboard boxes agree with this view.
“Paper mills across the country are successfully recycling corrugated pizza boxes every day,” said Heidi Brock, President and CEO of AF&PA. “Yet consumers remain confused by mixed messaging about items that shouldn’t be placed in recycling bins.” “So let’s be clear: pizza boxes are recyclable. Consumers shouldn’t worry about grease or cheese—just take the leftover pizza out, and toss the box into the recycling bin. We encourage communities to update their residential recycling program guidelines to explicitly accept pizza boxes that don’t contain food residues.”
Partners from all industries have joined forces to encourage consumers to recycle pizza boxes. The industry agreement has paved the way for proactive action, boosting the recovery of old corrugated cardboard (OCC) in recycling programs. It also presents pizza suppliers with a new opportunity to align with consumer values—especially at a time when people are eager to connect and contribute to the greater good. In fact, recycling pizza boxes can bring about a host of benefits, benefiting the box industry, pizzerias, communities, individuals, and the environment alike. Here’s why:
By working with contractors and movers, municipal recycling managers can add pizza boxes to the list of acceptable materials in residential recycling programs.
This is great, because the OCC, which supports the circular economy and infrastructure, has a huge domestic market.
In fact, the corrugated cardboard industry needs to recycle more OCC in order to continue producing new cardboard boxes. On average, 50% of a corrugated cardboard box is made from fibers recycled from OCC, while the other 50% is made from virgin fibers grown in sustainably managed forests. Recycled fibers are an important raw material.
Approximately 90% of corrugated cardboard boxes produced each year are successfully recycled and reused. However, the shift from retail and restaurants to home delivery has resulted in more corrugated cardboard boxes ending up in households rather than being properly routed through commercial recycling systems.
Collecting pizza boxes in residential recycling programs will make more recycled fiber available for manufacturing new boxes—this is essential to supporting the viability of supply chains across all industries, which rely on boxes to transport a wide variety of products.
Pizza sellers have an opportunity to foster goodwill and positivity by reminding customers to recycle their boxes. At the very least, every pizza box should bear the “Corrugated Recycling” logo, making this point clear to everyone. Letting customers know that they can make a positive contribution simply by recycling these boxes is a great way to tap into the spirit of collaboration—benefiting everyone involved. The packaging industry receives more raw materials for manufacturing new products; restaurants and customers can forge connections through a shared commitment; even a small act of kindness can have far-reaching impact. Every box that’s recycled and reused is a win for our planet.
What can and cannot be recycled isn’t always obvious. But the corrugated packaging industry is committed to making recycling as easy as ordering your favorite pizza toppings. Eat your pizza. Remove any leftover pizza (and don’t worry—we won’t judge you for not eating the crust). Then, recycle the box.
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