CONSUMER FACTSHEET
Busting the Myth: Your cartons really can be recycled!
Millions of people still don’t realise that cartons can be recycled.
As a nation we consume an estimated 57,000 tonnes of paper-based cartons every year –
the equivalent weight of a whopping 331 blue whales, or 2.3kg per household. Yet many
people continue to put their cartons in their waste bins because they don’t realise they can
actually be recycled.
Just three years ago, there was very limited carton collection here in the UK, even though
cartons were recycled in large quantities elsewhere in Europe. That situation has changed
dramatically, however, with more than 85% of UK local councils now providing carton
collection facilities (including over 25% at kerbside) to help you recycle even more.
To find out where you can recycle cartons locally, visit www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk.
Here are a few things that you might like to know before you get started…
Did you know that…

Squashing your cartons before you recycle them helps keep trucks off the road?
FACT: If you squash your cartons, you can fit 3 times as many cartons in your
recycling container, saving on space in your container and the collection vehicle.

According to Tetra Pak researchi, refusing to recycle is now deemed a social “faux
pas”?
FACT: As many as one third of us now notice if our neighbours don’t put out their
recycling sacks and boxes.

There is still a common misconception that cartons can’t be recycled, mainly because
of the layers within the packaging?
FACT: These layers help to keep products fresher for longer, but cartons can
definitely be recycled.

Carton recycling facilities are now available at sites across the UK?
FACT: Carton recycling facilities are now available in over 86% of local authorities in
England, Scotland and Wales.
What happens to my used cartons?
Recycled cartons are used to make a host of products, some of which might surprise you!
Did you know, for example, that your envelopes, plasterboard liner, paper carrier bags,
broom handles, roof tiles and even garden furniture could all have been made from recycled
cartons?
Tetra Pak UK & Ireland Bedwell Road, Cross Lanes, Wrexham LL13 0UT Telephone: 0870 442 6600
www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk. For more information or help planning your carton recycling PR activity, please contact
tetrapak@fishburn-hedges.co.uk.
CONSUMER FACTSHEET
But where do the cartons go?
When your cartons are collected, they are stored at regional ‘hubs’ until there is enough
material to make up a full truck-load. They are then transported to a paper mill in Northern
Europe where they are recycled. This is presently the best available way for the UK to
recycle cartons. However, Tetra Pak and the rest of the carton industry under ACE UK
(Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment UK) are working with other paper mills
and partners in the UK to recycle cartons closer to home.
And that’s not all….
As well as being recyclable, cartons have a host of other advantages:



They keep food fresh without the need for preservatives, ensuring that whether
we’re transporting milk, juice, or chopped tomatoes, the product reaches you in the
best possible condition.
They come in a range of shapes and sizes, designed for ease of transportation and
storage.
You can even buy wine in cartons now!
Carton recycling is as easy as 1, 2, 3…
Now you know that paper-based cartons can be recycled, all you need to do is follow these
three very simple steps:
1. Squash your cartons before recycling (this saves space in your bin and helps keep
trucks off the road)
2. Only put paper-based liquid food and drink cartons in the recycling bins, unless
otherwise specified on the bin.
3. Take care not to contaminate the bins with plastic, card, cans, glass, plastic bags or
foil.
It really is that easy to make a difference. For further information, and to find your nearest
carton collection facility, visit www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk.
i
Data gathered from survey carried out by YouGov amongst 2384 adults (501 Londoners) in March 2007.
Tetra Pak UK & Ireland Bedwell Road, Cross Lanes, Wrexham LL13 0UT Telephone: 0870 442 6600
www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk. For more information or help planning your carton recycling PR activity, please contact
tetrapak@fishburn-hedges.co.uk.