We all know it's important to recycle, but sometimes it's hard to keep track of the best way to do it. Which recycling numbers are allowed? Do I leave the cap on or take it off? Should I rinse this out?
A particularly troublesome object is the carton because it's part paper, plastic and aluminum.
According to Earth911.com, there are two types of cartons. The first kind is shelf-stable cartons, which are made from paper with a thin layer of plastic and aluminum to preserve products without refrigeration. The second type is refrigerated cartons, which are used for cold items.
Shelf-stable cartons contain on average 74 percent paper, 22 percent plastic and 4 percent aluminum. Refrigerated cartons contain about 80 percent paper and 20 percent plastic.
Despite seeming like a small portion of the waste stream, because cartons are mostly paper they are a valuable recyclable material.
Fun fact: a common misconception about refrigerated cartons is that their paper is coated with wax, but according to Resource Recycling Systems, these cartons have a thin layer of plastic over the paper.
Sometimes I fold up my cartons and throw them out and sometimes I toss them in with the recycling just in case because I don't know what to do with them. Now cities across the country are starting to develop recycling programs to help this problem.
In 2008, only 18 percent of U.S. households had access to carton recycling programs, according to the Carton Council. Since the Council formed in 2009, that number has nearly doubled to almost 36 percent, with 40 million households in over 40 states now able to recycle cartons curbside or at a drop-off center.
The Council is a group of carton manufacturing companies that boast having the lowest environmental impact within the packaging industry. They are striving to reduce their impact further by expanding recycling programs across the country.
The companies include Elopak, Evergreen Packaging, SIG Combibloc and Tetra Pak.
Even bigger companies like Tropicana Products are trying to promote the importance of recycling cartons. They recently teamed up with Waste Management to launch a national initiative to increase the rate of carton recycling.
To separate the layers of a carton, the cartons are put in a hydro pulp machine and are agitated in the water until the layers detach. From there each layer is recycled in different ways.
Cartons have an average of 94 percent product and 6 percent package, which is great for you and they are more transportation efficient, so less fuel is used because of fewer shipments.
Now it's confirmed: cartons do benefit you and the environment. So make sure to rinse it out, fold it up and you'll feel a lot more confident in your recycling decisions.