The main question people often ask when it comes to food packaging is, “Are tins recyclable?” With more companies focusing on eco-friendly products and sustainable resources, consumers are more cafe with their buying habits. They look for products and packaging that can be recycled because it creates less waste and saves space in landfills.
Manufacturers are picking up on this trend and looking to use recyclable materials for their products to be more eco-friendly to appeal to a new type of buyer. Metal tins and bottles are durable and last for years and years, making them a good choice for food products such as coffee, tea, popcorn, cookies, spices, muffins, and more.
That’s Good News
Companies adopting sustainable packaging materials are taking more responsibility for the environment. Customers are increasingly aware of where a lot of the world’s trash ends up and making a conscious decision to support companies who use recycled materials, or use materials that can be recycled, is one step towards a cleaner environment,.
Most people are aware that you can recycle aluminum soda cans, tin cans from soup, and plastic milk jugs, but the area in between is sometimes a mystery. While you may not be able to put them directly in your curbside pickup container, almost all types of metal are recyclable. Some can be put in curbside cans, others can be taken to the recycling center, and some can be up-cycled into usable containers for other things.
Recycling FAQ’s About Tins and Metal Bottles
Here are a few questions consumers ask regarding special holiday foods tins and metal water bottles.
ARE COOKIE TINS RECYCLABLE?
Yes, most recycling programs will allow you to recycle cookie tins that hold Christmas cookies as long as they are clean and dry.
ARE POPCORN TINS RECYCLABLE?
Decorative popcorn tins are also recyclable at most recycling centers. Just make sure they are free of food debris, clean, and dry before putting them in with the recycling.
ARE SPICE TINS RECYCLABLE?
Cookies, biscuits, popcorn, coffee, and tea tins are recyclable in most areas. Spice tins would also fall into this category. If you have questions, you can check with the EPA website or call your local recycling center.
ARE METAL WATER BOTTLES AND REUSABLE COFFEE CUPS RECYCLABLE?
Metal water bottles are made out of steel. The recycling that you put out at the curb goes to a facility where it is sorted, crushed, and sent out to manufacturers that use recycled materials. The water bottles and coffee cups cannot be crushed and may actually damage the machinery. For this reason they are not allowed at the recycling center but can be recycled as scrap metal at a facility that accepts things like metal car parts, appliances, and other metal parts.
ARE ALUMINUM TINS RECYCLABLE?
Yes, all types of aluminum are recyclable. That includes aluminum foil, foil cake pans, and other aluminum food containers.
ARE MINT TINS RECYCLABLE?
Yes, just like the cookie tins, candy and mint tins are also recyclable. They can also be up-cycled for more uses. See below for ways to repurpose these items.
