It must be one of America’s favorite foods…PIZZA!

But what to do with all those cardboard boxes? Yes, they can—and should—be recycled. And how to do that just got a little easier in Putnam County. Just make sure there is no melted cheese or other food in the box and remove any parchment paper that often accompanies those tasty slices. Then you are good to go. Previous guidance advised pizza lovers everywhere to remove the oily cardboard spots that were bigger than a credit card. This no longer applies moving forward, at least in Putnam County. Please be aware that recycling guidelines for 2026 can vary significantly by location. 

If you think the number of pizza boxes available for recycling is negligible, you might want to reconsider. In 2021 the American Forest & Paper Association published guidelines about the recyclability of pizza boxes. They cited a study that estimated the number of pizza boxes sold annually to be around 3 million boxes, equating to 600,000 tons of corrugated board. The study was conducted by one of the largest recyclers in North America, WestRock.

Next month is Earth Month and recycling staff and health educators from the Putnam County Department of Health will be out promoting earth-friendly practices. Visit the health department's recycling website at putnamcountyny.gov/health/recycle or catch them in person at EarthFest on April 25 at Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison.

 For more information on pizza box recycling:

• Recycle Right NY Recyclopedia: https://recyclerightny.org/statewide-recyclopedia & search pizza
• American Forest & Paper Association guidelines: https://www.afandpa.org/sites/default/files/2021-08/AFPAPizzaBoxStatements2021.pdf