Do Not Recycle
Paperboard takeout containers are lined with wax or plastic to prevent them from leaking. The lining can’t be separated, so these containers can’t be recycled. Put them in the garbage.
No Glossy Lining? It’s Cardboard
If your paperboard container has no glossy or waxy coating, it’s cardboard. Scrape or empty out any remaining food before putting it in the recycling. If the box is greasy or soiled, place it in the garbage — it cannot be recycled.
Ways to Reduce
Bring Your Own To-Go Container
When dining out, bring a reusable to-go container so that you can bring leftovers home sustainably.
Split Meals
Eating with a friend or family member? Share your meal so there’s no need to take leftovers home.
Use It as a Plate
Make your meal cleanup one step easier by transforming your takeout container into a plate. Learn how on Lifehacker.com.
Reusable Packaging For Businesses
Check out Upstream’s catalog of reusable packaging and unpackaging innovators that provide ways for consumers to obtain products, mostly food and beverages, in returnable, reusable, or refillable packaging – or they deliver products to consumers unpackaged altogether.
