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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.
Enter your postcode to check

Top tips for recycling cartons

Yes pleaseNo thanks
Drink cartons, e.g. juices, milk - leave plastic tops on cartons and straws in drink cartons as these will be removed and recycledLaminated 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).

Cartons - how are they recycled?

Life of a beverage carton

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.

What to do with...

  • Popular items
  • Aerosols
  • Batteries
  • Clothing & textiles
  • Electrical items
  • Face coverings (masks) and PPE
  • Mobile phones
  • Plastic film & carrier bags
  • All items

Related websites

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment

Related content

Find out how to recycle:

  • Cling film
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The Waste and Resources Action Programme (which operates as WRAP) is a registered UK Charity No. 1159512 and registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 4125764.

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