By now you may be aware that recyclable food and beverage cartons are growing in popularity across the United States. In fact, carton recycling access has increased from 18 percent of American households to more than 58 percent of households in just the last seven years. That’s a 222 percent increase! Thanks to collaborative efforts led by the Carton Council of North America, nearly 68 million households are able to recycle their milk, juice and broth cartons through their residential curbside or drop-off programs.
But what happens to cartons after they’ve been placed in the recycling container? It depends on the carton, which comes in one of two forms: shelf-stable (also called “aseptic”) or refrigerated (known as “gable-top”). Shelf-stable cartons are found on grocery store shelves and are used for things like juice, milk, soy milk, wine, soup and broth. Refrigerated cartons are found in the chilled sections of grocery stores and are used for milk, juice, cream and egg substitutes.