Four carton manufacturers — Tetra Pak, Elopak, Evergreen Packaging and SIG Combibloc — have formed the Carton Council, with the stated purpose of advancing improvements to carton recycling infrastructure in the United States. It plans to increase diversion of cartons from the waste stream by promoting both carton recycling technology and local collection programs. The council has formed an early alliance with Tropicana, one of the most prominent users of cartons, and Houston-based Waste Management, which has agreed to include cartons in all of its recycling programs.

“We are very proud that the environmental impact of cartons already is among the lowest in the packaging industry,” said Ed Klein, executive director of the Carton Council, in a press release. “Cartons are source-reduced and made primarily of paper, a renewable resource, from responsibly sourced, well-managed forests. But we want to take our commitments to the next level, and that’s where significantly increasing recycling comes in.”

A database, searchable by state, on the Carton Council Web site reveals which communities currently offer carton recycling. Communities seeking to add cartons to their recycling programs can contact the council for guidance.