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Always in the green bin: greasy pizza boxes and other takeaway packaging

Pizza boxes – especially when they’re greasy and have cheese or other food stuck to them – are great in your green bin.

In the (unlikely) event there is any unwanted or stale pizza that has been left in box, this can go in the green bin too.

Pizza boxes are great for lining the bottom of your green bin to prevent food and garden organics from sticking to it.

Other takeaway packaging that can go into your green bin include:

• paper bags – the kind that sausage rolls and donuts from the bakery come in
• cardboard burger boxes
• cardboard clam shells
• paper towel, napkins and tissues
• bamboo plates, clam shells and cutlery
• corn-starch products.

The general rule for the green bin is ‘if it grows, in it goes!’ Things like cardboard and paper are made from trees, which of course grow, so these items are good to go in your green bin.

Any other products that are certified 100% compostable (they’ll have the seedling logo AS 4736 (see what it looks like below)) can also go in your green bin. These products are made from materials such as paper, cardboard, wood or rye straw, and have no lining or additives.

You may also see items with the AS 5810 home composting logo – this logo means the product meets the standards to be composted in your home composting system.

If you’re not certain an item is 100% compostable, you can ask the takeaway venue for confirmation. And if they’re not sure, it’s best to keep it out of your green bin.

When it comes to plastic takeaway containers, these can be placed in your yellow bin – just give them a quick rinse first.

Other composite takeaway items, like plastic-lined coffee cups or cold cups with a plastic or waxy lining, need to be placed in the landfill bin.