Buttery mess: Why sorting butter paper isn't as easy as it seems

Waste segregation is a daily practice that has a huge impact on the environment. Although the rules seem simple, many people still have doubts, especially regarding the packaging of food products. One frequent dilemma is where to discard butter paper. Should it go into the yellow bin for plastic, the blue bin for paper, or the black bin for mixed waste?

Waste segregation may seem simple, but in practice, many people struggle to sort packaging from food products correctly. While most know where to throw glass or plastic beverage bottles, doubts often arise with more specific packaging, such as butter paper. Should that greasy butter paper go in the paper, plastic, or mixed waste bin? The answer may surprise you.

Although it may seem that butter paper packaging should go into the paper waste bin, this is a mistaken belief. The fat that covers the paper makes this material unsuitable for recycling. In the paper manufacturing process, fat disrupts the technology and significantly lowers the quality of the resulting product. Therefore, even a small amount of fat on the paper can contaminate a batch of paper waste, rendering it useless.

Butter packaging often combines paper and aluminum foil. In such a case, the two should be separated before disposal. The wet paper goes into the mixed waste bin, and the aluminum foil goes into the yellow bin for metals and plastics.

Waste segregation is an obligation and our responsibility towards the environment. Proper segregation can limit waste going to landfills and recover valuable secondary raw materials. Moreover, segregation contributes to reducing the energy and water consumption needed to produce new products.

Besides proper segregation, it is also worth considering ways to reduce the amount of waste produced. One solution might be choosing butter in more eco-friendly packaging, such as glass jars that can be reused or recycled multiple times. Choosing more eco-friendly options can be a step towards reducing our carbon footprint and caring for the environment.