Greasy and cheesy pizza boxes are fully recyclable, according to a study undertaken by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).
Guidance published by AF&PA has now been published after the study was conducted by its member WestRock that found the presence of grease and cheese did not impact on paper manufacturing.
AF&PA president and chief executive Heidi Brock said: “Corrugated pizza boxes are successfully recycled every day at paper mills throughout the country, yet consumers remain confused by mixed messages suggesting that some boxes should not be put in the recycle bin.
“So, let’s be clear: pizza boxes are recyclable. Consumers should not be concerned about grease or cheese – simply remove any leftover pizza and place the box in the recycle bin. We encourage communities to update their residential recycling programs guidelines to explicitly accept pizza boxes that are free of food.”
When surveyed, AF&PA members representing 93.6% of the total amount of OCC collected by its members, said they accepted corrugated pizza boxes for recycling.
In the UK, Recycle Now advises that pizza boxes are recyclable.
