Austin Carton Recycling: Cups and Cartons in the Cart

Austin carton recycling in the blue cart

Austin carton recycling changed when the city told curbside customers they can put food and beverage cartons in the blue cart. That includes aseptic boxes and gable-top cartons. Coated paper is on the same list: paper cups, paper plates, and takeout containers that are coated paper, not foam.

A juice box, a broth carton, and a coffee cup now follow austin carton recycling instead of the trash, as long as you are a city curbside customer. Rinse them. A cup still full of coffee does not belong in the cart. Push the straw and the plastic sip lid into the trash if they come off. The city says attached bottle caps can stay on containers. When a lid pops off, keep it out.

Flatten the carton if you can. It does not need to be a perfect square. It does need to be empty. This is part of Austin blue cart recycling, not a separate bin.

Austin carton recycling versus cardboard

A shipping box is still cardboard. Break it down to about two feet by two feet. A greasy pizza box is not austin carton recycling and it is not clean cardboard. Food-soiled paper goes to compost or trash.

Plastic tubs are a different material. The plastic recycling guide covers those. Paper fiber rules are on paper and cardboard recycling in Austin.

The city posted the carton and coated-paper addition on its residential recycling page. If your building uses a private hauler, ask them before you rely on austin carton recycling, because a private contract can lag behind the city cart.