What to do with
Food & drink cartons
Want to recycle food and drink cartons but don't know if you can?
To check if food and drink cartons can be recycled at home or to find out where your nearest recycling facilities are, use our handy Recycling Locator tool.
Top tips for recycling cartons
| Yes please | No thanks |
|---|---|
| Drink cartons (e.g. juices, milk) - You can 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 food pouches, cat food pouches, coffee 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).
See how food and drink cartons are recycled
The life of a beverage carton - video by ACE Ltd
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.