What to do with
Food & drink cartons
How to recycle food and drink cartons
Food and drinks cartons can be recycled in some household collection schemes and at recycling points. Enter your postcode below to check if you can recycle cartons at home.
Top tips for recycling cartons
| Drink cartons, e.g. juices, milk - leave plastic tops on cartons and straws in drink cartons as these will be removed and recycled | Laminated plastic food/drink pouches, e.g. baby, coffee and cat food pouches |
| Food cartons, e.g. soups |
What are cartons made from?
Cartons are a composite packaging material - in other words they are not made from paper alone but comprise of about 75% paper, 20% plastic (polyethylene) and 5% aluminium foil (for long-life products).
Where are cartons recycled?
In September 2013, the UK’s only beverage carton recycling facility was opened in Stainland, near Halifax, West Yorkshire. The plant is capable of recycling up to 40% (25,000 tonnes) of the cartons manufactured for the UK market each year.