Yes! Food and Beverage Cartons
are Recyclable

Most food and beverage cartons are accepted in recycling programs. This includes refrigerated cartons (gable-top style) such as milk cartons, cream containers, juice cartons, and soup and broth containers. Shelf-stable aseptic cartons — the kind that do not require refrigeration and are often used for plant-based milks, broth, juice, wine, and sparkling water — are also accepted in many programs.

Both styles are constructed from layers of paperboard, polyethylene plastic, and (in the case of aseptic cartons) a thin layer of aluminum. Despite this multi-layer composition, modern pulping technology at paper mills can efficiently separate these materials. The recovered paperboard fiber is among the highest quality in the recycling stream because it has typically only been used once.

Before recycling, it is best practice to empty your carton completely and give it a quick rinse to remove residue. You do not need to crush or flatten the carton — in fact, keeping cartons in their original three-dimensional shape helps sorting equipment at MRFs identify them correctly. Replace the cap or push the straw back into the carton before placing it in your bin to prevent small pieces from becoming litter.

Cartons from specialty applications such as wine or soup pouches with plastic spouts may have slightly different recycling guidance, so always check local program rules. When in doubt, the recyclecartons.com address locator can tell you exactly what types of cartons are accepted where you live.

Preparing your cartons properly helps ensure they are processed efficiently at the recycling facility and do not contaminate other materials in your bin. The three main steps are: empty, rinse, and replace the cap. First, make sure all liquid or food content has been emptied from the carton. Even small amounts of remaining liquid can create odor problems and attract pests at the sorting facility.

A quick rinse with water is sufficient — you do not need to scrub the interior thoroughly or use soap. Just enough to remove the bulk of any remaining product. Allow the carton to drain before placing it in your bin to avoid unnecessary moisture in your recycling.

One important distinction from other recyclables: do not flatten your carton. Unlike cardboard boxes which are often crushed to save space, cartons should remain in their original shape. The three-dimensional structure helps optical sorting equipment at materials recovery facilities identify and correctly sort cartons. Flattened cartons can be misidentified as flat cardboard or paper, reducing the efficiency of the sorting process.

Finally, replace the screw cap if your carton has one, or push the straw back into the drinking hole if it came with a straw. This prevents small plastic pieces from becoming airborne litter during transport and processing. Following these simple steps makes your recycling contribution count.

After collection from your curbside bin or drop-off location, cartons travel to a materials recovery facility (MRF) where they are sorted, separated from other recyclables, and baled for shipment. Modern MRFs use a combination of optical sorting technology and manual quality control to identify cartons and separate them from paper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass.

Once baled, cartons are shipped to paper mills. At the mill, the bales are added to large pulping vats filled with water. The mechanical agitation separates the paperboard fibers from the layers of polyethylene and aluminum foil. This process is known as hydrapulping, and it efficiently recovers the long, high-quality paper fibers that make up the majority of a carton's weight.

The recovered paper pulp is then used to make new products including facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, and writing paper. Some mills also use the recovered fiber to produce sustainable building materials such as gypsum wallboard, roofing cover board, and other composite materials. The plastic and aluminum residuals are often recovered for energy or used in specialty applications.

The circular lifecycle of a carton demonstrates why recycling matters: materials that would otherwise be landfilled become inputs for new products. This conserves trees, reduces energy consumption compared to virgin material production, and diverts waste from landfills.

The acceptance of cartons in local recycling programs depends on several interconnected factors, including the capabilities of the local materials recovery facility, the existence of mill markets willing to purchase baled cartons, and the economics of collection and processing in that community. These factors vary considerably by geography and the structure of each municipality's recycling contract.

Communities with MRFs equipped with optical sorters that can identify cartons, and that have established mill contracts for recovered carton fiber, are most likely to accept cartons in their programs. Communities that lack this infrastructure may not yet be able to process cartons effectively, even if residents are eager to recycle them.

The good news is that the market for recovered carton fiber has grown substantially. As more mills invest in pulping technology optimized for cartons and as collection volumes increase, the economics become more favorable for communities to add cartons to their accepted materials list. Advocacy from consumers and brands encouraging local programs to expand acceptance plays an important role in this process.

If your community does not yet accept cartons, consider contacting your local recycling coordinator to express interest, or look for drop-off locations run by organizations that aggregate cartons for shipment to receptive mills. National advocacy organizations like the Carton Council work with municipalities, MRFs, and mills to expand carton recycling access nationwide.

Food and beverage cartons have a generally favorable environmental profile compared to many alternative packaging formats, particularly when their renewable material content and end-of-life recyclability are considered together. Cartons are made primarily from paperboard, which is sourced from responsibly managed forests certified by organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

On a per-unit basis, cartons are lightweight and space-efficient, which reduces transportation fuel consumption and carbon emissions throughout the supply chain. Their flat-pack design before filling means that many empty cartons can be shipped in the space of a single filled unit, dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of distribution before the product even reaches the filling line.

The multi-layer composition of cartons — paperboard, polyethylene, and aluminum in aseptic varieties — is sometimes cited as a complexity that makes recycling more challenging than single-material packaging. However, modern pulping technology addresses this effectively. The paperboard layer, which constitutes approximately 75% of carton material by weight, is recovered at high rates at participating mills.

Life cycle assessment studies have consistently found that cartons generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions, consume less water, and require less energy to produce than comparable glass, metal, or multi-layer plastic packaging alternatives. When cartons are recycled rather than landfilled, their overall environmental benefit improves significantly.

Brands and food and beverage companies play a uniquely powerful role in driving carton recycling rates because they communicate directly with consumers at the moment of purchase and through the packaging itself. Research conducted by the Carton Council found that 92% of consumers expect food and beverage brands to actively help increase the recycling of their packages — a strong mandate for corporate action.

One of the most direct actions a brand can take is to display the "Please Recycle" logo on carton packaging. This simple visual cue signals to consumers that the package is recyclable and encourages them to look for recycling options in their community. The logo is available in both English and Spanish formats and is consistent with FTC Green Guides guidelines for recyclability claims.

Beyond the logo, brands can include messaging on packaging directing consumers to resources like the recyclecartonsquiz.com address locator, where individuals can quickly determine whether carton recycling is available in their specific community. This eliminates the uncertainty that is one of the primary barriers to consumer recycling behavior.

Companies can also participate in industry coalitions, support MRF upgrades through voluntary funding mechanisms, and incorporate carton recyclability into their broader sustainability communications and corporate social responsibility reporting. These upstream interventions have a multiplier effect that extends far beyond individual consumer decisions.