Why aren't pizza boxes recyclable?

Question

Pizza is consumed in the millions by americans. None of these boxes are recyclable. I think this should be changed and all pizza companies should have to use recyclable boxes. What do you think?

Answer 1

Pizza boxes are already made of at least 8 percent recycled material. Also, pizza boxes absorb a lot of grease which will make the recycling process much harder.

Answer 2

Pizza boxes are only non-recyclable when they are soaked with oil, sauce and cheese.  So long as you keep the boxes clean, you can recycle them along with your other paper and cardboard waste.

Should your boxes become messy, you can still "recycle" them...

Allow me to introduce you to composting.  Composting is a great benefit to the environment, not only does it create beautiful mineral-rich soil, it also DRASTICALLY reduces landfil waste (which it seems you are interested in).  Compost is not just for those who live on a farm, or in the woods, and, no, it does not stink like cow manure (unless you put cow manure in it).  I live in the city, and I keep a compost bin in my kitchen.

Compost is made of two basic components: greens (produce waste such as fruit peels, vegetable skins, etc.) and browns (dried plants and flowers, eggshells, food-soaked napkins and paper towels, pizza boxes, etc).  Keep the levels of these components even, mix well and often (to aerate), and you too can have a happy little compost bin!

By composting you can keep your contribution to the landfills low, green up your garden with super-potent soil, and not have to rely on the limitations of your city to recycle your pizza boxes!

Answer 3

You can't recycle them but you can compost them.

Answer 4

I always toss them in the recycle bin with cardboard. Why do you say this?

Answer 5

I've worked at a recycling plant and we recycled pizza boxes. I even knew before I worked there that pizza boxes are recyclable material, so I don't know what you are going on about.

Answer 6

why do you think they aren't?

just because they are far cheaper to produce, in Mexico, without putting the little recycle symbol on them??

Answer 7

too much food stuck on them

Answer 8

maybe they cant get the sauze and cheese out of the cardboard

If they did recycle them ,you could probably eat them as well In the end

impregnated with cheese and pizza sauce

Answer 9

I think they should be recyclable also, but the boxes have been recycled so many times that it's unrecyclable. It's like the numbers on the bottom on plastics and glass basically.

Answer 10

yeah they are....you can recycle them

Answer 11

Recyclers don't want food remains in the cardboard. It probably attracts insects and vermin.  But if you have corregated cardboard, you can pick off any cheese and crumbs, break up the boxes, and hide them in other cardboard to be recycled as the other answerer did.

Answer 12

I think that the problem is that there is food that comes into contact with the boxes--you know how you always lose some cheese to the top of the box--and paper that has food on it cannot be recycled, or at least can't in my town.

Another approach would be having pizza companies used RECYCLED boxes, helping to strengthen the demand for recycled goods.  I believe that the supply of recycled material exceeds the demand for it at this time.

I think your question is a good one and that thinking like yours will do our world some real good.  Thank you for asking it.

Answer 13

i own a pizza shop and we put our pizza on a cardboard circle before we put it in the box so the grease doesn't get on the box and therefore the box can be recycled.

Answer 14

They cant be recycled because they are food soiled and any paper that isnt dry, clean, and are filled with food stains cant be recycled.  

You can however compost the pizza boxes in your compost bin (if there is any available by your recycling company) or shred the boxes up and compost them in a compost heap in your backyard.

hope this helped

Answer 15

My recycling center has always accepted pizza boxes. Of course, I try to remove any food scraps before recycling, which is only common sense, just as I wash bottles and plastic containers. I'd check further....you might have some erroneous information.  -RKO-   05/27/07

Answer 16

coz the boxes still hv stick the sauce and flies come,maggots will hanging around there,but if you wash the boxes,white ants came....

Answer 17

because of the oil from the food & base that gets in the cardboard & ruins it for recycling purposes also food scraps in all containers not just pizza boxes ruins the recycling process.

Always rinse out and clean everything before putting in recycle bin

Answer 18

who told you that. California switch from plastic to brown paper bags, a few more trees won't hurt will it

Answer 19

We actually recycle our pizza boxes.  We rip them into smaller parts, and bind them with the rest of our cardboard.  Then off to our local recycling plant it goes!

Answer 20

Maybe because they can't wash out the grease on it...lol....

...In NY,where we must recycle all our trash,we do recycle the boxes.

Answer 21

maybe cuz health dept. don't allow it. i kno this isn't a good answer but i signed up for the make the world a better place thing with yahoo and if i get the best answer I'll get credits toward getting hybrid cars and better light bulbs for my city. that would help our planet so please pick me!!