Used pizza boxes, like the ones pictured above, are for the trash, not recycling, the city says.

Residents on the southside of Warren were left with surprises this week under their recycling bins, as if visited by the Recycling Fairy. What was left behind was not what they were expecting to find. It was their old pizza boxes. The very same ones they put out with the recycling that week.

Pizza boxes are constructed of corrugated cardboard, which is recyclable but only when the fibers are reasonably clean. But when the boxes contain grease, cheese, and leftover food, those contaminants are mixed in with the recycling process. Too much grease can lead to batches of recycling being downgraded or even rejected. Pizza boxes can become more trouble than they are worth.

Wishcycling is the act of putting different items into the recycling, hoping they’ll be recycled. Even though the intentions are good, doing this harms the recycling process by creating more contamination and by increasing sorting costs. It can also damage valuable equipment. When I’m down, experts say it’s better to throw an item in the trash, rather than “wishcycle” it. Recycling isn’t just about collecting the cardboard, it’s about being able to then sell it.

The city of Warren website currently states that clean pizza boxes are accepted. It goes on to instruct you to detach the greasy portion of the box and put it in the trash but put the lid in the recycling. The official Facebook page for the city posted in February 2024 that pizza boxes are not collected when they contain grease or pizza toppings.

Kassie Damcott, Administrative Assistant for the City of Warren Public Works Department said “We delivered pamphlets in the fall of 2024 stating that pizza boxes are no longer accepted but the box tops can be detached and included.”

Damcott continued, “Anyone who needs new recycling bins or a packet, which includes section magnets is welcome to call or email me. We will have the crew deliver to them.”

The Department of Public Works can be reached at 814-723-6300 or emailed at kdamcott@cityofwarrenpa.gov.

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