Recycling Tips for Cereal Boxes and Bags

Oh no! You’ve woken up to an almost empty cereal box? We hope you have a brand new one waiting on the kitchen counter, ready to be opened. But before you toss the empty box away, let us tell you how easy it is to recycle your cereal box and bag.

We all know recycling is good for the environment. It helps us save precious resources while freeing up landfill space. And it only takes so little time and effort. If you’ve never recycled your old cereal packaging, don’t worry. Here is what you need to know so you can start recycling your cereal boxes and bags like a pro.

The light cardboard that our cereal boxes are made of can be easily recycled. This material is thicker than paper but thinner than corrugated cardboard, so if you’re not sure which pile it belongs to, it’s good to know that recycling centres will usually accept light carboard boxes together with your other paper products, so you can place them in the same recycling bin. You can always check the cardboard recycling requirements in your local area to see if different rules apply. Here are our top recycling tips:

Check the recycling logos on your cereal box

Our breakfast cereals come in packaging specially designed for a lower environmental impact. So, start by checking the useful information we’ve added to the recycling logos on each cereal box.

Make sure your empty cereal box is really empty

Once you’ve checked the information on the packaging, the first step to recycling your cereal box is making sure that it’s empty and that there are no leftover cereals or crumbs.

Break down or flatten your cereal box

This will save you considerable space in the bin, but it will also make it easier for the cardboard to be processed once it reaches the recycling facility.

Keep it dry

Make sure the box is clean and dry. It’s always a good idea to keep it separate from food waste or other items that go into the bin. This way you will avoid contamination, which might make it impossible for the cardboard to be recycled.

Check the recycling guidance on your local council website

Local councils usually have lots of tips as well as recycling guidelines. Make sure you check them out so you don’t miss out on important details that might stop your cereal box from being recycled. The government’s site for recycling collections is a helpful resource for recycling your cereal box or any other materials. Just type in your postcode and go to your local council website for a full list of their kerbside recycling services and more useful information.

Now that you’ve got your cereal box sorted, recycling the cereal bag is the next step. Cereal bags are made from a high-density polyethylene film (or plastic #2 as it’s known by its recycling code). This is one of the easiest plastics to recycle, but if your local kerbside program doesn’t collect cereal plastic bags, the good news is that you can recycle it together with your other plastic bags and take them to one of the larger stores in your area that have a recycling programme.

Don’t forget these easy tips, before sending your cereal bag off for recycling:

• The cereal bag has to be empty
• Make sure the bag is dry
• Remove any residual cereal dust or crumbs by wiping the bag with a dry cloth
• Check to see if there are any special rules that apply to recycling cereal bags in your area

And if you love our Nestlé Cereals Box Bowls Selection Packs, we’ve got great news. The overwrap-on box bowls can be treated the same as the cereal bags, so you can add it to your recycling pile.

That’s it! Now that you’ve got the recycling process started, the boxes and bags that have kept your favourite cereals safe and tasty are off to a new beginning and ready to start their second life as a new box or plastic container.

If you love DIY projects, there is something else you can do with your empty cereal box: you can turn it into the star of your very own craft project. With a pair of scissors and a bit of inspiration the old cereal box can turn into many amazing things. So, why not combine recycling cardboard and plastic bags with a few fun craft ideas? We’ve put together a few easy cereal box crafts in a handy guide, so make sure you check it out, next.