Massachusetts Recycler Changes: Paper-Based Food & Beverage Cartons No Longer Allowed

In efforts to produce higher quality end products as a direct result of China’s National Sword waste and recycling policy, ALL Massachusetts recycling plants have ceased accepting food and beverage cartons. Food and beverage cartons are paper-based containers in refrigerated and non-refrigerated areas of food markets. Food and beverage cartons are commonly used for milk, juice, cream, soups, etc.

Effective immediately, please be sure to exclude paper-based food and beverage cartons from all recycling containers and discard them with your trash.

Note: This change does NOT impact food and beverage containers made from glass, plastics and metals.

In order to comply with the new restrictions, follow these simple rules:

1. Recycle all empty glass bottles, tin and aluminum cans, cardboard and paper.
2. Recycle all empty plastic bottles, jars, jugs and tubs (#1,2, &5).
3. Keep food and liquid out of recycling.
4. Keep plastic bags, bagged recyclables, plastic film and medical waste out of recycling.
5. Keep all food and beverage paper-based cartons and wax-lined cardboard out of recycling.

What can you do?

● Effective immediately, do not throw food and beverage cartons into your recycling containers. These items should be placed in your trash.
● Educate everyone in your place of business on this new ban on food and beverage cartons.
● Check out the Most Common Contaminants List for Mass which outlines items that do not belong in single stream recycling containers.

We appreciate your business, and are seeking to ensure the sustainability of recycling by eliminating contamination before it gets to any recycling facility. Thank you in advance for your assistance with improving the inbound quality of the material you collect, and we receive.

For more information, please access Waste Management’s Recycle Often. Recycle Right. web site or Mass Department of Environmental Protection’s new Recycle Smart web site, where you can download an infographic about acceptable items to recycle in Massachusetts and can search on any specific item via the Recyclopedia to find out if it can be recycled.