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How to Recycle Pizza Boxes
Corrugated cardboard delivery boxes for pizza. They are among the most common items people hesitate over at the bin, and most of the box goes back to a paper mill.
Check local acceptanceLast reviewed October 14, 2026
Quick answer
Most curbside programs accept corrugated pizza boxes once you remove leftover food, crusts, wax paper, and plastic tables. Grease spots alone do not ruin the box for most mills. If your local list says otherwise, tear off the soaked bottom and recycle the clean lid. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
How to Prepare
- 1Remove all food, crusts, and cheese stuck to the box
- 2Pull out the paper liner, dipping-sauce cups, and the small plastic table
- 3Check your local list: if it rejects greasy cardboard, tear off the soaked bottom and recycle the clean lid
- 4Flatten the box so it fits in the cart and moves through sorting
- 5Compost the soaked sections if your yard or food-scrap program accepts food-soiled paper
Where to Recycle
- Curbside recycling carts
- Municipal drop-off centers
- Food-scrap or compost programs for soiled sections
- Apartment recycling rooms
Special Instructions
A 2020 study commissioned by WestRock and supported by Domino's found that typical grease and cheese levels in pizza boxes do not hurt corrugated recycling, and many programs updated their lists afterward. Some cities still ask residents to remove greasy sections, so your local list is the deciding rule.
Environmental Impact
Corrugated cardboard is one of the most recycled materials in the US. Every box that goes back to a mill becomes new boxes instead of landfill volume.
Sustainable Alternatives
- Compost soaked sections in a food-scrap program
- Reuse a clean lid as a cutting or craft board
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Empty corrugated pizza boxes
- Lids and clean sections
- Boxes with light grease spots where the local list allows them
Not Accepted
- Leftover food and crusts
- Plastic tables and sauce cups
- Wax or foil liners
- Boxes soaked through or caked in cheese, if your program bans greasy cardboard
FAQs
Can greasy pizza boxes be recycled?
Yes, in most programs. Industry testing found that normal grease levels do not harm corrugated recycling. Remove the food, then follow your local list if it asks you to tear off soaked sections.
What do I do with the plastic table in the middle?
Throw it away. It is too small for sorting equipment to capture and does not belong in the recycling cart.
Can I compost a pizza box?
Yes. Tear it into small pieces for a backyard pile, or put it in a municipal food-scrap cart that accepts food-soiled paper.
Related recycling guides
Recycle pizza boxes
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