Deciphering the dilemma: How to properly dispose of your pizza box
Whether you're a fan of classic margherita, the controversial Hawaiian, or the popular capricciosa, one thing is certain - pizza is the favourite dish of many. Sadly, not many of us know what to do with the greasy cardboard box after ordering a pizza to our homes. Let's clear that up.
Garbage segregation has been a topic of discussion since school. Despite the growing conversation about the need for plastic bottles and cans to go into the yellow bin, the proper disposal of pizza boxes remains a mystery to many.
Which bin should the pizza box go into?
You might think that the packaging from this beloved Italian dish, being paper, should find its way into the blue bin after the meal. However, the situation is trickier because only clean cardboard is meant for that bin.
What should be done with the greasy packaging soaked with olive oil and stained with cheese or sauce? First and foremost, it shouldn't be mixed with clean, spotless papers. The right way to dispose of the pizza box is in mixed waste, meaning it should go into the black bag. But there's more to consider.
Many pizzerias include aluminium foil in the boxes to keep the dish warm. Thus, before tossing the cardboard, the foil should be separated and placed in the yellow bin for plastics and metals.
What to do with a clean pizza box?
If the pizza box isn't dirty, then the process is different. In these instances, the cardboard is suitable for recycling and can be correctly disposed of in the blue bin for paper.
However, pizza boxes are often only dirty on one side. If that's the case, it's advisable to cut the clean top part of the box off and place it in the blue bin, while the soiled bottom part should go into mixed waste.
