Are To-Go Food Containers Recyclable?

Most to-go containers are recyclable, but whether or not you can toss them in your recycling bin will depend on what they're made from, what materials your local recycler accepts, and if they're soiled with food waste like grease and cheese.

In general, clean and dry cardboard, paper, aluminum, and plastic containers are recyclable throughout the United States—but double-check to see if the container has a recycling symbol before tossing it in the bin. 

Chinese Food Containers

Chinese food takeout generally comes in an oyster pail, also known as a paper pail. It’s a folded paperboard box coated in plastic, usually polyethylene. The coating prevents your food from leaking and sticking to the paperboard, but it makes these containers difficult to recycle.

Some municipalities have the capacity to recycle these containers as long as they're free of food waste and rinsed, so check your local recycling rules to determine the next steps. For the most part, though, these food containers unfortunately belong in the trash.

Plastic Takeout Containers

If you grab a salad to go, you’ll likely get it in a plastic takeout container; likewise, if you order an entree for delivery. Most plastic food containers are made of low-density polyethylene or polypropylene thermoplastics. They can be melted down and molded into new shapes fairly easily, making them recyclable and accepted by most household recycling programs in the United States.

In order to prevent food waste or sticky residues from interfering with recycling machinery, you should rinse, clean, and shake dry your plastic takeout container before putting it in a recycling bin.

Styrofoam Containers and Cups

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers—commonly (and incorrectly) referred to as styrofoam food containers—are great insulators, keeping soup piping hot and milkshakes cool.

Restaurant owners like them because they’re affordable to buy in bulk, and they come in a variety of sizes. Unfortunately, though, EPS is a petroleum-based product known to be harmful to the environment on many levels—its production, for example, releases nasty pollutants into the air. And when these foam containers end up in a landfill, they can leach harmful chemicals and contaminate the soil and water.

Although containers made with this material may have a recycling symbol with the number six, not many facilities process them. Some specialty recyclers may accept EPS, but you’ll have to do your research. Use an online tool to find a recycler near you.

Paper Containers and Wrappers

If paper containers and wrappers are free of grease and other food contamination, municipal recycling programs will likely accept them. Paper that does not come into direct contact with food is welcome in your recycling bin.

Cardboard Food Containers

Like paper to-go containers, cardboard food containers are recyclable as long as they aren’t contaminated with food waste. Things like cheese and grease will interfere with the sorting process and damage recycling machinery, often ruining entire batches of recycling. 

Watch out for cardboard food containers that have a waxy/plastic coating, which is typically made from polyethylene. Retailers often use waxed cardboard for packaging pre-made meals as the waxy layer prevents leaks and sogginess. However, the waxy coating makes the box difficult to recycle, and many recyclers won’t accept them.

Check with your municipality or search for waxed cardboard recycling programs near you to determine your options.

Waxed Paper Cups

The waxy coating inside a paper cup ensures that your beverage doesn’t leak or taste like paper, but it also renders it non-recyclable because recycling machinery can’t easily separate the two materials. The lining is made from a fossil-based plastic, like polystyrene or polypropylene, but it can also be made from straight wax.

Cafes use plastic-lined paper cups to serve coffee to go. While you can’t recycle these paper cups, you may be able to compost them if they're made from PLA. Otherwise, your most eco-friendly option is to bring your own reusable cup when you grab your morning brew.

Ice Cream Cartons

Browsing the freezer section at the grocery store, you’ll notice most ice cream cartons are made from the same material. The base material is paperboard, but it isn’t just regular paperboard—ice cream containers are made from wet-strength paperboard. Wet-strength paperboard includes a plastic polyethylene lining that ensures it can stand up to uber-cold temperatures. 

Packaging with plastic linings is not generally recyclable because the coating makes it difficult to process. However, some regions do accept ice cream cartons in curbside recycling programs. It varies tremendously. For example, Seattle accepts them, but Portland doesn’t. 

Check with your city to find out if you can toss your ice cream containers in the bin. If you can, make sure your container is empty and clean of food waste before you recycle it. If you recycle a carton that still has ice cream inside, it can contaminate your other recyclables.

Also, look for other types of packing for ice cream. Some brands are using alternatives to wet-strength paperboard, which may be more easily recycled.

Juice Boxes

Like Chinese takeout containers, juice boxes are coated with a thin layer of plastic on the inside, even though they can look like they’re just made from cardboard. In reality, though, they’re made up of multiple materials layered together, including paper, polyethylene plastic, and aluminum. 

Individually, these components are recyclable. But it’s difficult to separate them when they’re smashed together like they are in juice boxes. Therefore, most juice boxes should be tossed in the trash as they aren’t easily recyclable. You may, however, be able to find a specific juice box recycling program through a specialty recycler like TerraCyle.

Foil Containers

Foil food containers are made from aluminum, which is accepted in virtually all curbside pickup recycling programs in the United States. But in order to prevent contamination, make sure you rinse them off and rid of excess food waste before recycling them.

Can You Compost Takeout Containers?

Food packaging is an environmental concern. It’s often made of non-biodegradable materials that are difficult to recycle. But green-minded developers have made headway in creating biodegradable packaging that you can compost. And some raw materials are already suitable for the compost pile.

In general, you can compost food-soiled take-out packaging that’s made from paper or cardboard. Some food retailers use compostable cups and flatware, too. To determine if the packaging is compostable, look for labels or symbols. Compostable materials are labeled “Compostable” or “PLA”—though sometimes those labels mean that the material is compostable at a commercial facility, so be sure to read the fine print!