Mass. Pizza Box Disposal Rules: Is Placing Them in The Recycling Bin Illegal?

The weekends for me mean pizza. Well, not all of the time, but I consume pizza the most on weekends. If you're like me, after a long work week, you don't want to cook every single meal on the weekend. Plus, you need to have something to look forward to. A reward, if you will.

Lately, I have been ordering pizza when my in-laws come to visit, which is usually on Saturday or Sunday. After enjoying the pizza together, I'll clean up the kitchen along with the dining room table and split up the leftovers so they can take some home with them.

Of course, with cleanup comes throwing away crumbs, spilled toppings and whatnot. But that also means I need to dispose of the cardboard pizza box. So, do I throw the pizza box in the trash or do I recycle it?

Are You Allowed to Recycle Pizza Boxes in Massachusetts?

If you didn't know, Massachusetts allows you to recycle pizza boxes. Now you may be thinking to yourself, but what about the grease and stuck-on cheese? Well, here's the deal: you can recycle pizza boxes as long as they are cleaned to the best of your ability, meaning make sure all pizza slices are out of the box and clean off/remove any toppings that may be stuck to the box. Once you do that, you should be good to go.

Cheese in the Box

If you don't get all of the cheese out of the box, that isn't even a big deal. According to recyclesmartma.org, a study completed by WestRock Industries, one of the world’s largest paper and packaging companies, found that grease and cheese in amounts typically found on pizza boxes do NOT impact manufacturing in a negative way.

Next time you're faced with the decision of trashing your pizza box or placing it in the recycling bin, double-check to make sure it's fairly clean and toss it in the recycling bin; Recycle Smart Massachusetts encourages it.