# Is a chip bag paper or plastic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118 "2012-10-08T19:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/1 "2012-10-08T19:16:16Z")
For recycling sorting purposes is a Frito bag paper or plastic. I’ll need a trust worthy cite. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/2 "2012-10-08T19:20:24Z")
If it’s shiny (even on the inside) it’s mylar. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/3 "2012-10-08T19:22:07Z")
[http://www.fritolay.com/our-planet/packaging-questions.html](http://www.fritolay.com/our-planet/packaging-questions.html) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/4 "2012-10-08T19:27:25Z")
Note that generally products with food staining are not recyclable even if they would be otherwise. Unless you are in the habit of rinsing out your chip bags, it’s probably not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/5 "2012-10-08T19:48:08Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Note that generally products with food staining are not recyclable even if they would be otherwise. Unless you are in the habit of rinsing out your chip bags, it’s probably not worth it. Concur. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/6 "2012-10-08T19:52:36Z")
(Did you have to have the pizza box talk with roommates too? I ended up needing to make a flowchart.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/7 "2012-10-08T20:20:18Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > (Did you have to have the pizza box talk with roommates too? I ended up needing to make a flowchart.) I did not, but it always saddens me that I can’t put those big-ass pizza boxes in the recycling. It seems such a waste for all that cardboard to go to the trash. I mostly buy milk in cartons, too, and it peeves me that I can’t put those in the recycling either. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/8 "2012-10-08T20:23:48Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I mostly buy milk in cartons, too, and it peeves me that I can’t put those in the recycling either. That used to be the case here, but it’s changed - we can recycle those cartons now. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/9 "2012-10-08T20:24:30Z")
There is not going to be a universal answer although there are probably a lot of items that are not recycled anywhere. Community recycling programs vary community by community on what they take. The rules about what sort of plastic food container recently changed in San Diego. It is confusing poking around the website just now I found one page that said milk cartons were recyclable and one that said they were not. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/10 "2012-10-08T20:32:50Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > That used to be the case here, but it’s changed - we can recycle those cartons now. There’s hope! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/11 "2012-10-08T21:32:22Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > For recycling sorting purposes is a Frito bag paper or plastic. it’s “trash”. Throw it out. In Ann Arbor (you don’t say where you live, so I’ll assume you live in Ann Arbor :)), plastic bags, styrofoam, and #3 plastics are not recyclable. Other numbered plastic are. So are pizza boxes, FWIW. ETA: Milk cartons too. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/12 "2012-10-08T21:51:17Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I did not, but it always saddens me that I can’t put those big-ass pizza boxes in the recycling. It seems such a waste for all that cardboard to go to the trash. I mostly buy milk in cartons, too, and it peeves me that I can’t put those in the recycling either. My area permits food and uncoated paper (including food-stained paper products like your pizza boxes) to be put in with green waste. Green waste gets shredded up, processed, and resold as compost. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/13 "2012-10-09T10:27:54Z")
Pizza boxes always seem to have the “recyclable” logo on them. I figure, most of the cheese etc goes on the little corrugated mat inside, so I take that out and throw it on the compost heap, and the rest of the box goes in the recycling. I only get takeaway pizza maybe three or four times a year, though, if that. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/14 "2012-10-09T13:43:31Z")
The pizza box can say whatever it wants but if the local recycling depot won’t take them, one is kind of stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/15 "2012-10-09T14:45:21Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > it’s “trash”. Throw it out. > > In Ann Arbor (you don’t say where you live, so I’ll assume you live in Ann Arbor :)), plastic bags, styrofoam, and #3 plastics are not recyclable. Other numbered plastic are. So are pizza boxes, FWIW. > . I would assume not Ann Arbor because you [don’t have to sort recycling in Ann Arbor any more](http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Pages/Single-StreamRecycling.aspx), just sort recyclables from non-recyclables. [Their single-stream processing facility is pretty cool](http://a2cititv.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=ed99e392f29b33c23d1a217a6767d7f6). At any rate, mylar is not recyclable. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/16 "2012-10-09T14:54:44Z")
Where I live, pizza boxes can be recycled if a liner (usually wax paper or corrugated cardboard) is used to prevent staining the box. Some places use them regularly, but most others will on demand. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/17 "2012-10-09T16:05:02Z")
Hijacked, but related… so recently, my city (San Antonio) began to allow paper juice and milk cartons in the recycling bin, but _not_ paper cups from restaurants (not just the super thick coffee cups from Starbucks and the like, but general soft drink cups from fast food places, etc.). What’s the big difference between the carton paper and a the drink cup paper other than thickness, I wonder? We also have a third organics bin now! Yay. Pizza boxes and grass clippings…what a wonderful world. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/18 "2012-10-09T16:39:04Z")
That most people don’t drink from the carton, at a guess. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chip-bag-paper-or-plastic/637118/19 "2012-10-09T17:22:02Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > What’s the big difference between the carton paper and a the drink cup paper other than thickness, I wonder? I think that’s it: the thickness of the paper. Perhaps whatever method they have of recovering the paper from between the layers of waxy coating just isn’t worth using unless there’s a fair amount of paper there to recover?