Think Green®

Most people know that both paper and plastic can be recycled. But what about those "in-between" items like the milk and orange juice cartons found in the refrigerated section at the supermarket? The empty cartons are not made entirely of paper and not entirely of plastic, but a combination of both.

"Gable-top cartons," as they're called, are made of high-quality paper fiber, a renewable resource. But each side is covered with a thin layer of polyethylene, a type of plastic, to keep the paper from getting wet. As commonplace as these cartons are, there's been no easy way to recycle them – until recently.

Waste Management has lately been expanding the number of facilities that can process beverage cartons at an impressive rate. In fact, Waste Management and Tropicana (the leading producer and marketer of orange juice and other fruit juices in the United States) have recently launched a national initiative to increase the number of beverage cartons for recycling.

Encouraged by a successful pilot in Tampa, FL, the national program means that residents in all areas with Waste Management recycling processing facilities can recycle milk and orange juice cartons, soy, broth, and other beverage cartons simply by placing them in their recycling bins along with other recyclables.

Consumers can quickly find out if their municipality accepts cartons by visiting www.recyclecartons.com. Consumers that do not have access to curbside collection of containers are able to go to www.thinkgreenfromhome.com and purchase an in-home recycling container.

This program is part of Waste Management's quest to make recycling more accessible for consumers across the country, develop forward-thinking ways to make recycling easier, protect the environment, and improve quality of life.

What happens to the cartons after pick-up? They undergo a process known as "hydropulping," which "blends" the cartons so the non-paper and paper layers separate. The recovered paper fibers can be recycled into items such as tissue and paper towels.

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