What about milk cartons? Are they recyclable? ~Wondering

Dear Wondering,

Currently, the Recycling Center does not have the facilities to recycle gable-top (my new word for the day!) milk cartons. At first glance, these products seem like they should go in the cardboard recycling bin. But, these boxes aren’t your normal cardboard boxes! Think about what would happen if you poured orange juice in a cereal box. To keep any liquid from soaking through the cardboard, the boxes are lined with low density polyethylene (LDPE, or #4 plastic). This lining would need to be removed to make the boxes recyclable. Larger cities do have facilities for recycling them and, according to the Carton Council, “more than 60% of households across the country have access to carton recycling.” The Council is working to promote and increase carton recycling nationwide. Readers who want to help them achieve this goal can sign the Council’s petition at https://www.recyclecartons.com/petition.