Smurfit Westrock teams up with Pizza Hut to promote US recycling

Pizza Hut has partnered with Smurfit Westrock to raise awareness about the importance of recycling pizza packaging in Louisville, US. The initiative aims to dispel confusion around whether greasy pizza boxes are recyclable and educate consumers as to which communities have appropriate recycling infrastructure.

The partnership is part of Pizza Hut’s ongoing efforts to improve circularity rates for its packaging. The company’s pizza boxes are primarily made from corrugated cardboard, a material that is widely recyclable. 

Emily True, the global senior manager of sustainability at Pizza Hut, says: “We’ve always been focused on giving our customers the best pizza possible and an important part of the experience is the pizza box. Once our customers are done enjoying their pizza, we want them to understand how they can play an important role in making sure boxes get a second life.”

According to the company, at least 35% of the cardboard used in its US pizza boxes comes from recycled content. 

Recycling and consumer engagement

Beyond improving the sustainability of its packaging, Pizza Hut is also focusing on consumer education and working with advocacy groups to influence local governments and municipalities on their recycling policies. The company estimates that nearly 75% of the US population has access to recycling for used pizza boxes in their local community.

As one of the largest pizza box manufacturers in the US, Smurfit Westrock integrates recycled materials into its packaging production cycle, ensuring used corrugated cardboard is returned to the system. 

“Recycling corrugated material is a fairly simple, straightforward process that contributes to improving circularity in packaging. Awareness is a critical first step, but sustainable results can only be achieved when consumers, manufacturers, brands and communities work collectively to recycle pizza boxes,” says Kevin Hudson, senior vice president of Forestry and Recycled Fiber at Smurfit Westrock North America.

Pizza Hut also hopes to offer value beyond the primary use of its packaging products. This summer, the company launched the Moving Box Table, a pizza box that transforms into a miniature table designed to simplify dining during the busy moving process. The innovative packaging is being introduced during peak moving season in many US cities.