Can You Recycle Pizza Boxes In Delaware?
Pizza always sounds like a great idea. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. The box usually sticks around longer than the pie and you find yourself asking: can you recycle pizza boxes?
There has always been the rumor that pizza boxes with grease are non-recyclable and you should just toss them in the trash.
That practice seems to be fading away fast as paper mills and recycling centers across the country are now saying even boxes with cheese stuck on them CAN be recycled!
Recycling In Delaware
When it comes to whether or not you can recycle pizza boxes in Delaware, you can (somewhat) and Delaware actually does it the best.
In fact, Delaware is in the Top 10 of states who recycle the most pizza boxes.
“According to a Paper and Packaging Board analysis produced by Resource Recycling Systems, 10 states and the District of Columbia shine as pizza box powerhouses where at least 90 percent of residents can recycle their pizza boxes” according to the Italian Herald.
Only around 57% of Americans realize that you can actually recycle pizza boxes! Each year 3 billions pizza boxes are used, so by recycling those containers we can keep a ton of trash out of the landfill.
Delaware has single stream recycling currently. Things like metal cans, paper, and glass are all accepted.
They also accept anything made with paperboard or corrugated cardboard. This would include pizza boxes!
The Delaware Solid Waste Authority will not accept shredded paper or frozen dinner boxes!
You can find all acceptable recycling items here.
Pizza Boxes And Cardboard Waste
So can you recycle pizza boxes in Delaware? Kind of!
There really isn’t a clear answer but the Cape Gazette talked to the DSWA and they said “You may not be able to recycle an entire pizza box, but you can tear off the top and recycle it if there is no food waste on it.”
The DNREC says “You usually can’t recycle the whole pizza box. The bottom is usually soaked in grease, making it impossible to recycle. The top of the box can be, if it’s not also soaked in grease.”
You can check your local recycling restrictions at BeRecycled.org.
In the meantime, make sure you try out some of our favorite pizza places here in Delaware, including Nick’s Pop up!
