The satisfaction of opening a steamy box of pizza is hard to replicate. But what happens when the last slice disappears and just the empty box remains?
If you said, “throw it away,” think again.
Turns out that box is valuable. Every year, the U.S. munches its way through approximately 3 billion pizza boxes, adding up to 600,000 tons of wasted high-quality material that could be recycled up to seven times, according to the American Forest & Paper Association.
These statistics come from Domino’s latest initiative, “Recycle My Pizza Box,” a new website that informs pizza-lovers about the ways they should care for their cardboard boxes, so that they don’t end up in the trash.
And there are plenty more. This year, their cardboard box vendor, WestRock, published a study that suggests that most boxes can be recycled even when covered with a bit of oil and cheese.
Still not convinced your local recycler will accept them? Check out the The Recycling Partnership’s “toolkit” full of tips to help local communities get on board.
The Recycling Partnership social media campaign
Don’t forget to eat every last crumb! Your pizza box should be totally empty before tossing it!
Cover Photo: Ribalta pizza in NYC via Facebook
