Clamshells sometimes have strong adhesive stickers attached that can't be removed, making the clamshell ineligible for recycling. Almost 15 tons of material from plastic containers and packaging were created in 2015 in the U.S. alone.
What can I do with plastic clamshells?
If your local recycling program does not accept plastic clamshells, please be sure to keep them out of your recycling bin. But don't throw them out — they are recyclable. In fact, NAPCOR reported that more than 100 million pounds of PET thermoform material were recycled in the U.S. in 2018.
How do you recycle clam shells?
Recycling Steps
- Wash the clamshell, removing any organic material.
- You can soak labels to remove the paper and leave the remaining adhesive on the package or cut the plastic with labels attached off the clamshell to minimize contamination.
- Dry the container.
- Place the clamshell packaging directly in the recycling bin.
