The Number One Reason You Can't Recycle Your Pizza Box

It may seem like a contradiction because when your favorite pizza delivery arrives it comes in a nice corrugated cardboard box that has a big recycle emblem right on it. So why in the world can't you put your used pizza box in the recycling bin? While the box your pizza comes in is made from recycled materials, you cannot put the used box in your recycling bin because it is contaminated by the tasty treat.

That's right. The oil, cheese and toppings that make up the pizza are contaminants to the paper cardboard, which means it cannot be recycled. The reason is rather simple. When paper is recycled it is mixed with water to break it down. If you try to recycle a cardboard box covered with oil, what do you think happens? That's right. Since oil and water don't mix, it prevents the pizza box from being recycled. Not only that but if there are other types of paper in the same batch, it also prohibits these items from being recycled as well.

So even though you're trying to do the right thing, it isn't possible to recycle your entire pizza boxes because oil and water don't mix! What you can do is recycle the portions of the box that are not contaminated by the oil and food. For example, the top of the box is usually untouched, so rip off the top and throw it in the recycling bin. While you may not be able to recycle the whole box, you can recycle some of it.