Whether you’ve got a passion for pepperoni, prefer plain cheese or consider pineapple on a pizza the ultimate culinary crime, there’s only one way to celebrate 9th February… Today is National Pizza Day and, with the average Brit chomping their way through 731 pizzas in their lifetime, and searches for food delivery at an all-time high during lockdown, there’s no doubt that, as a nation, we get through A LOT of takeaway cardboard pizza boxes.
The good news is that as the cardboard packaging used to make takeaway pizza boxes is recyclable, your discarded box doesn’t need to end up in landfill and can typically be thrown in your recycling bin, where the paper fibres used to make up the box can be reused time and time again.
What’s more, there’s no longer any need to remove pieces of the cardboard pizza box which are lightly-grease-stained before putting your box in the recycling bin. Local recycling centres can now process packaging with these stains.
So, for anyone treating themselves to a takeaway pizza tonight, don’t forget these two simple steps from Beyond the Box:
Toss away the crusts
Remove all the discarded food – including pizza crusts, clumps of cheese and toppings – which might have fallen into the box. It’s really important to remember to throw these into the food bin as food waste can’t be processed at recycling centres.
Flatten the box
As with all packaging, it’s important to flatten your pizza box before putting it in the recycling bin. With most councils collecting sustainable packaging (such as cardboard, empty cans and plastic bottles) every two weeks, this simple step will save lots of room in your recycling bin.