Meat Packaging

Special Instructions

If your meat comes in film/soft/flexible plastic and a styrofoam base, please put both items into the black landfill cart. 

If your meat is wrapped in deli wrap, deli wrap can go into your brown compost cart.

If your meat is wrapped in film/soft/flexible plastic and a rigid plastic base, please place the film/soft/flexible plastic in the black landfill cart and place the rigid plastic base into the recycling (as long as it is clean).  

Do Not Recycle Foam or Plastic Packaging

Meat packaging cannot be recovered for recycling because of food contamination. Throw meat packaging in the garbage.

butcher-paper

Do Not Recycle Butcher Paper

Butcher paper is a paper coated in wax that cannot be recycled. If wax paper mixes with paper recycling, it will weaken and ruin that batch of recycling.

Ways to Reduce

Visit the Meat Counter

Going to the meat counter at the supermarket is more eco-friendly than buying prepackaged meat. Meat counter workers often wrap meat in butcher paper, which reduces plastic waste.

Did You Know?

Even Meat Packaging is Becoming Eco-Friendly (Sort Of)

Food is one of the recycling industry’s major contaminants, so meat packagers are already at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to making their product recyclable. Some packaging companies, however, are now making compostable meat trays, so they can degrade in an industrial composting plant after they’re thrown out.