Pizza Boxes
Surprise! A used pizza box should go in the compost, as the grease has rendered it contaminated.
Plastic Bags
They’re trouble for recycling facilities and they’re banned, anyway, so you really ought to avoid using plastic bags.
Paper Bags
The paper may seem compostable, but these bags are better off as recycling.
Egg Cartons
Paper or plastic egg cartons can go in the recycling bin, but Styrofoam or polystyrene cartons are straight trash.
Condiment Packets
Ketchup and soy sauce packs are contaminated by food, and go in your black landfill bin.
Juice Boxes
The box can be recycled, but the accompanying straws cannot and should classified as garbage.
Soup Boxes
Just like a juice box, soup boxes can also be recycled.
Empty Ice Cream Pints
Despite their waxy exterior, ice cream cartons can indeed be recycled.
Plastic Take-Out Boxes
These can generally be recycled, although look for the recycling triangle logo with a number in it to confirm.
Paper Takeout Boxes
The soft paper boxes are preferable to plastic, as they can be composted.
Chinese Food-Style Takeout Boxes
They should go in the compost, so you don’t even have to wash them out. (Just remove any metal wires.)
Chopsticks
Believe it or not, chopsticks can be composted, too.
Don’t miss our companion cover story about the changing recycling landscape in America and how San Francisco is staying ahead of the curve.