Austinites now have the opportunity to recycle food and beverage cartons, as well as coated paper products, both at home and work. These items include containers for milk, juice, protein drinks, ice cream, soups, and creamers. Other recyclable coated paper products are cups for hot beverages, paper plates, and takeout food containers.
The recycling process is straightforward: remove the carton or cup, rinse off any residue without scrubbing, replace the cap, and place them in the blue cart. Crushing or flattening is not necessary.
Recycling these materials helps reduce landfill waste in Austin. The recycled paper fibers can be repurposed into products like paper towels, tissues, office paper, roof tiles, and other sustainable materials. This process results in 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution compared to using raw wood pulp for paper production.
Residents with curbside recycling services can find more information about recyclable materials on austintexas.gov/recycling. Those living in apartments or multifamily residences can visit austintexas.gov/zwapartments for further details.
