How to recycle butter packaging: Cloth, yellow bins, and mixed waste

Sometimes, even multiple times a week, we face the issue of disposing of butter packaging in an environmentally friendly way. How do we do it correctly? Many of us make mistakes in this regard.

Butter is a very popular fat used in most households. It's ideal for sandwiches, quick frying, and baking. Several butter wrappers often end up in the trash each week, but hopefully, they're always disposed of properly.

Although butter packaging may look similar at first glance, it can differ significantly. The wrappers may be made from various types of paper, such as wax paper, paper combined with aluminum foil, or even eco-friendly foil that resembles paper. Some people also buy butter in plastic containers, similar to margarine ones.

Dirty butter paper should go into the mixed waste container regardless of the type. Only clean and dry paper is suitable for recycling. Items unsuitable for recycling should also be thrown into the mixed waste container. These include meat leftovers and bones, wet or dirty paper, used hygiene materials like disposable diapers, cat litter, china, broken glass and mirrors, and textiles. Never throw away electrical and electronic equipment, household appliances, batteries and accumulators, construction and renovation waste, green waste, medications, and chemicals.

Plastic butter packaging, including clarified butter and other spreads, should be thrown into yellow containers designated for metal and plastics. These containers do not require the packaging to be washed before disposal, but it should be thoroughly emptied. Plastic undergoes mechanical recycling, during which it is sorted, shredded, washed, and processed into regranulate. This regranulate is later used to produce new plastic products.