"According to the study, while grease seeping into the cardboard and bits of cheese left on the box could theoretically cause problems with the recycling process, the quantity of these residues are far too little to markedly reduce the quality of the material. Analyses showed that the cardboard would need to be about 20% grease by weight before the recycled material is significantly impacted, with WestRock estimating that used pizza boxes were only around 1-2% grease by weight, on average."
"Whether or not to toss a pizza box into the recycling bin has long been a difficult question. It seemed like common sense to do so when recycling programs were first taking off, seeing as most pizza boxes are made of readily-recyclable corrugated cardboard; but then stories started dropping about how grease leaching into the cardboard meant that boxes were fit only for the garbage."
Studies demonstrate that most used pizza boxes are recyclable despite common concerns about grease and food residue. Typical grease contamination in used pizza boxes averages about 1–2% by weight, far below the roughly 20% threshold at which recycled cardboard quality would be significantly affected. Small amounts of cheese and other attached materials should be removed, similar to packing tape or staples. WestRock and the American Forest & Paper Association issued guidance supporting recyclability in 2021, yet many municipalities and online resources still treat pizza boxes as non-recyclable. Contact local recycling services to confirm acceptance rules.
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