Introducing Carton Recycling: Philadelphians Can Now Recycle Their Carton Materials Curbside

Addition of cartons marks another innovation in the city’s last four years of recycling advancements and successes

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., December 14, 2011 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter will announce today that food and beverage cartons are now recyclable as a part of the city’s residential curbside recycling program. The addition of carton packages marks another innovation in the City’s last four years of recycling advancements and success. With this new addition, nearly all household containers used by residents are now recyclable. Philadelphia’s recycling diversion rate- the amount of materials diverted from the waste stream- currently stands at nearly 20 percent, reaching rates of over 25 percent in some neighborhoods of the city.

Beginning immediately, residential households can place all empty, clean and dry food and beverage cartons in their recycling bins. Commonly used carton containers include milk and juice cartons, along with soup and broth, soy milk, eggnog and wine cartons.

The City of Philadelphia is bringing carton recycling to its residents in a public private partnership with the Carton Council, a group of carton manufacturers united to deliver long term collaborative solutions in order to divert valuable cartons from the landfill.

“Philadelphia is committed to becoming the Greenest City in America, and our recycling program is a leading component in this effort,” said Mayor Nutter. “We are proud to partner with the Carton Council to bring recycling innovation to our residents. This collaboration shows what can happen when government and companies work to create successful public-private partnerships. I am proud to be the mayor of a city with individuals and organizations that are dedicated to creating clean and green neighborhoods.”

According to Commissioner Tolson, the addition of cartons to the curbside recycling program will allow residents to earn more Philadelphia Recycling Rewards points and properly dispose of commonly used holiday materials.

“Adding cartons to your recycling bin is a great way to earn more Recycling Rewards points, which can be redeemed during the holiday season to purchase gifts for your friends and family,” said Tolson. “Also during this time of year, people are increasingly using carton materials- such as eggnog, broth and wine cartons- for their festive recipes and gatherings. Now is the perfect time to introduce this to the city so we can allow residents to fully take advantage of all of the benefits that this program has.”

Carton recycling is becoming increasingly popular across the United States. Philadelphia is now the largest city in Pennsylvania to recycle cartons, and is part of a national movement of major cities across the country that have expanded their curbside recycling programs to include cartons. In 2008, only 18 percent of U.S. households had access to carton recycling programs. Today, thanks in part to the Carton Council, this number has more than doubled to nearly 37%, with more than 1 in 3 households that now have access. Cities in over 40 states representing almost 42 million households now accept cartons as part of their curbside collection programs.

The recycled carton paper fibers are a valuable resource for making new products and consist of some of the highest quality fiber among recyclable products. Consequently, cartons have global demand and are shipped to paper mills, where the paper fiber is extracted to make new products such as paper towels, tissue, and even building materials.

The Carton Council’s collaboration with the City of Philadelphia serves as a model for how other cities can promote and implement carton recycling in their communities. They acted as a facilitator to help the City achieve its goal to add carton recycling to its curbside programs. A key step was working with the City’s recycling processors to ensure cartons would be marketable as a recyclable commodity before they would be added to the City’s program. The Carton Council provided technical and financial support for equipment upgrades for processing the cartons. The Carton Council is also supporting City staff as they raise awareness and disseminate information on carton recycling to local residents that use the City’s recycling services.

For more information on the City of Philadelphia’s recycling programs, please visit the Streets Department’s website and social media pages at www.philadelphiastreets.com, www.facebook.com/PhilaStreets, www.facebook.com/UnLitterUs, www.twitter.com/PhilaStreets, and www.twitter.com/UnLitterUs.

Philadelphia’s Mayor Michael Nutter gives an address at the press conference on December 14, 2011.