Carton recycling has improved greatly in the past several years, likely due to investment by the carton manufacturers themselves. By "cartons," we are referring to containers like milk, juice, and broth cartons, both the "gable-top" kind used for refrigerated items (milk, juice, creamer, egg substitute) and the flat-top kind used for shelf-stable products (broth, wine, soy milk). Unfortunately, ice cream and other similar food cartons cannot be recycled as easily.

Cartons contain multiple layers of material (paper, plastic, and sometimes aluminum). Traditionally, the components have been separated. Paper can be easily reused. The plastic and aluminum are less valuable but may find a second life in pallets, crates, furniture, and tiles. A new development in carton recycling is shredding the whole cartons, then heating and pressing those pieces to form large, moisture-resistant sheets, which can be used in roofing and other building applications.

Milk, Juice, and Broth Cartons

Recycle these at Full Circle Sustainability as part of their "premium recycling" program. 

Ice Cream and Similar Food Cartons

Recycle these at Full Circle Sustainability as part of their TerraCycle program.