A binman known as The No1 Binman has warned that placing pizza boxes in the recycling bin could result in binmen refusing to collect your rubbish. In a recent video, he stated that pizza boxes should go in the general waste bin, regardless of bin colour, as grease and food residue contaminate the recycling process.
According to the binman, greasy pizza boxes cannot be recycled because the grease prevents paper fibres from binding together during pulping. This contamination can spoil an entire batch of recycling, or even a full vehicle load.
While some councils accept pizza boxes for recycling if they are clean and dry, the binman emphasised that soiled boxes should be placed in general waste. For best practice, any clean, grease-free sections can be recycled, while dirty parts should be composted or thrown away.
He also noted that bin colours vary across councils, so residents should check local guidelines. A single contaminated item can lead to an entire recycling bin being rejected.
