Your morning coffee cup might look like recyclable paper, but did you know it actually can’t be recycled? Many everyday items like takeout containers, frozen food boxes and milk or juice cartons are made of plastic-coated paper. This is a tricky material that can’t be recycled in most Newton and Massachusetts curbside programs.
Plastic-coated paper refers to paper or paperboard treated with a thin layer of plastic, wax, or polymer to resist water and grease. While the coating may be just 20–30% of the material, it’s firmly bonded into the fibers of paper. The plastic layer prevents the paper fibers from being effectively recycled into new paper products, and therefore it contaminates the paper recycling process. When plastic-coated paper items enter the recycling stream, they jam or clog the processing equipment at material recovery facilities where Newton’s recyclables go.
MassDEP’s 2022 waste-characterization analysis highlighted that a large portion of what residents discard is already recyclable or compostable if sorted correctly. But, coated paper disrupts this process, increasing contamination rates and raising the cost of sorting through recyclables. If contaminant levels exceed a certain amount, entire loads of recycling risk being sent to landfill or incineration, severely undermining Newton’s recycling and zero-waste goals.
To keep Newton’s recycling system efficient, it’s important to avoid coated paper items in the recycling stream. Whenever possible, bring your own reusable cup, choose uncoated packaging, or support local businesses that adopt recyclable alternatives. Any coated paper you do use should go into the trash, not the recycling bin. It’s also important to remember that you can’t recycle:
- used tissues, napkins, wipes or sanitary towels since they have been contaminated with food, grease or other liquids,
- receipts or anything printed on thermal paper that contains BPA (Bisphenol A), a chemical that resists decomposition, and
- sticky paper due to the presence of adhesives.
When it comes to recycling paper items, make sure that they are dry, clean and plastic free. (Also, remember to remove any confidential information before disposing.) This small change helps to protect Newton’s recycling stream and advance the city’s efforts to build a sustainable and contamination-free waste system.