Can You Compost or Recycle Greasy Pizza Boxes?

In this age of instant gratification, ordering takeout has become the norm. Some people even do it 5 times a week, with pizza being one of the most popular choices.

But while we can’t argue with the appeal of pizza, how are you supposed to dispose of all the pizza boxes you inadvertently accumulate over the months?

I mean, can these boxes even be composted? Can they be recycled? And if not, is there a way you can reuse them?

Fortunately, that’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s post.

Are cardboard pizza boxes compostable?

Yes, cardboard pizza boxes can be composted, even when they are greasy. You can even use them as bedding for your worm composters.

If you don’t have a composter and live in the UK, US, Australia, or Canada, you can toss them in green bins. This is the best way to ensure your boxes make their way to an industrial composting facility.

There is one thing you should keep in mind though – different countries have different colors for their biodegradable waste bins -they’re not always green.

For instance, in Zagreb (Croatia) and Barcelona (Spain), these bins are usually brown. So before you conclude that your city doesn’t provide these bins, do some internet research or ask your local authorities.

Can pizza boxes be recycled?

Yes, pizza boxes can be recycled, as long as they aren’t wet, greasy, or food-stained. So if cheese or sauce gets all over your pizza box, that’s it – it’s unrecyclable. This is because food is one of the worst contaminants of the paper recycling process. It not only affects how fibers bind together during processing but it can also contaminate whole batches of recycling.

How do you properly dispose of pizza boxes?

The best way to get rid of your pizza boxes is to employ both recycling and composting.

You’ll have to separate the clean and food-stained parts of the boxes and recycle and compost them respectively.

Is there anything you can do with pizza boxes besides just throwing them out?

Interestingly, composting and recycling are not the only ways to deal with pizza boxes – you can reuse them.

In fact, here are a couple of ways you can do this:

Make a cat bed

Instead of buying an expensive bed for your cat, you can use a pizza box.

All you have to do is remove the top and line the bottom with some of your cat’s blankets.

Create a bird’s nest

If you are into bird watching and want to attract birds to your house, a great way to reuse pizza boxes is to convert them to nests. And it isn’t complicated – you can even leave the box as it is and simply prop the lid open.

Alternatively, you could tear off the lid entirely. Afterward, just fill the box with sticks/straws, arrange them in a nest-like shape, and place the box in a convenient location.

Reuse, recycle, and compost!

Ultimately, pizza boxes should never be thrown out, especially since there are several ways to sustainably dispose of them.

No matter how unmotivated you are, remember to reuse, recycle, or compost these boxes – your planet will thank you for it!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *