Can you recycle milk cartons

Cartons are designed to keep the product inside as fresh as possible, blocking out light and air that may cause products to spoil. A cool fact about cartons: The colorful labeling on the outside is printed on the thin plastic layer.

When recycled, removing that layer leaves behind valuable paper fibers that are used to make new paper products. Typically, its journey begins at a materials recovery facility where it gets separated from other waste and types of recyclables.

From there, the cartons are shipped to paper mills where they are mixed with water in a giant blender called a hydra-pulper. This process separates the paper from the plastic and aluminum. Once separation is complete, the paper fiber is ready to be transformed into new products such as tissues, office paper, and even building materials depending on the area of the country and the mill.

The plastic and aluminum materials are collected from the hydra-pulping process as well. The plastic, when re-purposed separately, is often used for shipping crates and building materials. Find a local recycling solution for cartons. The Carton Council is one of these partners.

Skip to content. By Leah Blunt Nov 14, juice cartons , milk cartons , recycling , recycling-milk-juice-cartons. Shelf-stable cartons , as the name suggests, can be placed on store shelves and are used mostly for juice, milk, soy milk, soup, broth, and wine stored at room temperature. Refrigerated cartons are found in refrigerated sections of grocery stores and contain products like milk, juice, cream, and egg substitutes.

Top Responsible Carton Manufacturers Your role in recycling improvements starts in the store aisle. Why Should I Recycle Cartons? Cartons are wax coated: False Cartons do not contain any wax and have not for many years. Take a deeper look at the anatomy of a carton. Always check with your local recycling or waste disposal service for recycling guidelines in your community.

Curbside pickup is gaining popularity but is still not available everywhere. Be sure to remove any lids, straws, or fancy extras that come with your packaging. They go in the garbage. The fiber is either sent to a paper mill to make new paper or different facilities which use it for building material like ceiling tiles and wallboard. Polystrene is prohibited from most curbside programs as it is very difficult to recycle.

Paper juice boxes are recyclable and should be placed in your recycling bin. Please be sure to remove the straw and throw it in the garbage. Plastic straws are not part of the program. While juice or baby food pouches do not belong in your curbside bin, there are other options for recycling. TerraCycle is a company that focuses on plastic packaging that cannot be accepted curbside.

Juice pouches, and many other items, can be shipped to them to ensure proper recycling. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading