Takeout Containers (Aluminum) Recycling Cart If the aluminum tray covers are clean cardboard, recycle them with other cardboard. If covers are lined with foil, put them in the trash. Clean Out Before Recycling Aluminum containers should be scraped and washed out before they are put in the recycling. Food traces contaminate the recycling process. Ways to Reduce Bring Your Own To-Go Container When dining out, bring a reusable to-go container so that you can bring leftovers home sustainably. Ways to Reuse Wash and Reuse Avoid throwing away aluminum containers after one use. Wash and reuse them for cooking, baking and storing leftovers as much as you can. Repurpose Aluminum Containers Aluminum containers can be repurposed to store crafting materials or garage items. They can also be used as a tray or saucer to catch water from household plants. Did You Know? The Preferred Takeout Container Out of all the types of takeout containers — aluminum, cardboard, wax-lined paperboard, plastic and foam — aluminum is the easiest for recycling plants to recycle, while foam is the most difficult.
