Bristol Waste has clarified whether takeaway pizza boxes can be recycled, addressing a common household dilemma. The company stated that boxes with a small amount of grease are probably fine to recycle, but heavily greasy sections should be removed first.
Advice from Bristol Waste
Comedian Stuart Goldsmith asked Bristol Waste in a video: "Is it true that if pizza boxes have got grease on them they can't be recycled?" Staff responded: "If it has a very small amount of grease on it, it's probably fine." They added: "If it's pretty greasy then you can just cut around the grease stain and chuck the rest in the recycling." A second worker elaborated that you can simply "tear the greasy bit off" if needed.
Goldsmith also asked about more efficient packaging. The company advised: "Loads of pizza places now just put a little sheet of paper under the pizza - and then the box is normally fine. It's that simple."
Public Reactions
One TikTok user enthused: "Always done that, it takes 3 seconds." However, others remained unconvinced. One individual challenged: "Why can't greasy boxes be recycled? Surely, the water treatment to break it down into cellulose will just make the grease float, right? Seems easier to use gravity to sort it, than to try and make 65 million people aware of this and interested enough to put in the effort."
Numerous others admitted they couldn't spare the time to tear apart pizza boxes, though Fresh Start Waste Services says it's something everybody ought to consider.
Why Grease Matters
Fresh Start Waste Services explains online: "Grease and oil then causes severe issues during the recycling process. Plants reject tonnes of otherwise acceptable cardboard each year because of contamination from too much grease." The firm continues: "Rather than being converted back into another useful resource, your cardboard pizza box often ends up being incinerated or piled onto the nearest landfill. This is a fate we are keen to avoid as recycled cardboard only consumes around 75% of the energy used to manufacture new cardboard from virgin pulp."
They suggest the simplest method to determine how badly your pizza box has been compromised is to remove any chunks of cheese or other toppings that have detached from the pizza. "Finding these bonus nibbles is a tough job, but it needs doing," they said. "From here, you'll be able to make a swift judgement as to whether your pizza box will pass the grade. A small amount of oil, while not ideal, won't be a problem – just try to soak up any excess with a napkin or kitchen towel."
