Skip to main content
  1. Re-Cycle
  2. Food and Cooking
  3. How to Recycle Frozen Food Packaging
How to Recycle Frozen Food Packaging

How to Recycle Frozen Food Packaging

Updated 5 March 2018 02:12 PM
Frozen food typically comes in either a box or plastic.  

The cardboard packaging for frozen foods has a thin layer of plastic or wax coating which protects the food from condensation in the freezer. It is a multilayered cardboard which has been lined with polyethylene to prevent it becoming wet and soggy.  While we all should be recycling cardboard, this coating generally prohibits these particular items from being easily recyclable.

The soft plastic bags can't go in your council bin, but can be placed (clean) into the soft plastic recycling bin at your local supermarket.
Something incorrect here? Suggest an update below:
ekko.world
Science Notes
Even though the 'cardboard' product is about 95% paper or cardboard and 5% polyethylene coating, the problem is that the coating makes the item un-recyclable as it can't be separated from the cardboard.

When paper and cardboard are recycled, they go through a pulping stage: water is added to the paper and cardboard to make a pulp mixture. This plastic coating does not dissolve or break down in this process and therefore contaminates the recycled paper. 

Related Tip
Bizarrely, if you want to buy frozen food, you could consider that sold in plastic. At least it is recyclable through the supermarket soft plastic collections. Better yet, make your food fresh!

Find a Recycler