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One of the most popular and universally enjoyed foods across the globe is… you guessed it, pizza. Who doesn’t love having a cheesy slice while watching the game? Or for leftovers the next morning? According to DeNiro’s Pizza, 93% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month and 350 slices are consumed every second in the US. The pizza industry is a billion-dollar industry. With this much pizza being consumed, we need to think about the waste that is also created.  It’s important we dispose of pizza boxes properly in order to avoid excess pizza boxes filling up the landfills.

To recycle or not to recycle?

Pizza boxes can be recycled. As long as the box is not greasy. If the box is greasy or still contains pizza remnants, it will be sent to the garbage. An easy way to avoid contamination is to rip the pizza box in half. Place the clean half in the recycling and greasy half in the trash. If tearing and sorting isn’t your forté, you can also throw the entire pizza box, along with napkins and leftover pizza, in the compost! But, let’s be real, if you’re a real pizza lover there will be no leftovers.

How to set up pizza recycling stations

[caption id="attachment_8121" align="alignright" width="400"]recycling pizza boxes, recycle, pizza recycling bins CleanRiver's Excel Pizza Bin[/caption] Now that we have you craving a slice, here’s how to set up an effective pizza box recycling station in your facility:
  1. Customize the recycling bin to clearly communicate it is to be solely used for the purpose of disposing of pizza boxes. This can be done by choosing clear and effective graphics and labels.
  2. Ensure the bin is the right size! A circle stream wouldn’t make sense, as we all know pizza boxes are square.
  3. Place the pizza recycling bin in high traffic areas with clear visibility. This is particularly effective in dorms and apartment buildings.
  4. Clearly communicate the launch of the pizza box bin to everyone in the building/facility so it can be utilized to its full potential.
  5. Continue to maintain communication about your recycling program so the bin continues to be used.
  6. Enjoy your pizza and always remember to recycle or compost accordingly!
Watch CleanRiver’s CEO, Bruce Buchan dive into more detail on The Art of Recycling a Pizza Box:


For information on recycling programs, check out our other blogs: Thinking about starting a recycling program? Read our eBook for more information about recycling bins, waste diversion, and more. bins 45 CleanRiver Recycling provides a variety of innovative, flexible and customizable recycling solutions. To determine the right solution to meet your needs, use the CleanRiver product selector. If you have additional questions that weren’t answered in this blog post please call us at 1-866-479-4038 or email solutions@cleanriver.com.