Juice Boxes
- DON’T put these cartons into curbside recycling
- DON’T compost them because they usually include plastic and aluminum liners
About These Items
A staple of children’s lunches and events, juice boxes are typically small paper cartons lined with plastic or aluminum foil inside. This kind of packaging is called “aseptic packaging” and allows for these liquids to be kept sterilized and shelf-stable until opened. They are often labeled “Tetra Pak” on the bottom. They have logos indicating that they are recyclable (after discarding the straw and straw wrapper). However, juice boxes are not accepted in the City of Pittsburgh’s curbside recycling.
Processing these boxes for recycling requires specialized equipment that the city’s recycling materials processor does not have and the city’s single-stream curbside format makes it hard to separate these items for alternative processing. This doesn’t mean these cartons aren’t recyclable though – they are! Just not locally here in Pittsburgh since there is no facility that collects and processes them. You can learn more about carton recycling at the Carton Council’s Recycle Cartons website. (IMPORTANT NOTE: The Carton Council’s website mistakenly says that you can recycle cartons in Pittsburgh’s curbside program, however Recycle This has confirmed with the City that this is not true.)
Because they are include some plastic and aluminum, these boxes are also not good candidates for home composting.
Consider alternatives where you can.
The most straightforward alternative to these juice boxes is to purchase juice in larger quantities and then use reusable drink containers or cups to serve the juice.
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