Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#recycling

Reach Out for Sustainably-Produced Goods

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Demand for recycled materials fluctuates over time. Now, because demand for cardboard is
low, our local recyclers are paying to have it stored. However, cardboard continues to be
diverted from the landfill by our local recyclers and that is an important consideration. (Like food waste, cardboard is biodegradable, and as such, produces methane gas as it breaks down.)

One market trend that remains is consumers opting to purchase sustainably-produced goods.
Sustainable shopping feels good. It reflects our concerns about the environment at a time of
dramatic climate change, of visible increases in land, air and water pollution, of a growing
scarcity of natural resources, a decrease in animal populations, and increasing reports of the ill-effects of chemical additives to a wide range of products. Our buying more sustainably-
produced goods puts pressure on retailers to purchase a larger amount and variety of recycled material. It creates new and different jobs and fosters research and product development.

In order to bolster their authenticity, loyalty, and revenue, retailers are having to pay attention to consumers increased demand for sustainable products. It is happening. There are ever more rigorously-tested, high-quality sustainably made products for sale. Read their labels and make product comparisons. Choose to be in the growing group of Americans who are shopping sustainably and know by doing so, you are increasing the demand for recycled materials.

By Bev Harrison

The (Un)Sustainability of Tetra Paks

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“Is this recyclable?”, “Which bin does this go in?”, and “What is this even made of?” are
questions us recyclers are often asking ourselves while we examine a package searching for
the small recycling symbol and trying to determine the material it’s made of. Recently,
packaging has become more obscure with waxy-paper-like rectangular cartons that we find in
our local stores containing non-dairy milks, broths, juices, soups, and other foods.

Cartons are made primarily with paperboard and are either aseptic or non-aseptic. Aseptic
cartons, or shelf-stable cartons, include paperboard, an internal aluminum layer, and a plastic
seal. Non-aseptic cartons, or refrigerated cartons, don’t have the aluminum layer, and thus have a shorter shelf life and require refrigeration.


When compared to glass jars, tin cans, and retort pouches, the aseptic and non-aseptic cartons require less energy to produce and are drastically lighter, making their production and transportation carbon footprint smaller. However, aseptic and non-aseptic cartons are very difficult to recycle due to their mixed-material composition.


Here in Summit County, non-aseptic cartons can be recycled as plastic, but aseptic cartons
cannot be recycled due to their aluminum lining. Tetra Pak, the Swedish-Swiss conglomerate
producing aseptic cartons, stamp the recycling symbol on their cartons but only 30% of their
cartons are actually recycled. Without a machine specialized in separating each material in an
aseptic carton, it cannot be recycled. Recycle Utah’s recommendation is to purchase your
goods in glass jars and tin cans as those are materials that can be reused and recycled without losing quality.

By Addison Marr