According to Wikipedia, a clamshell is a one-piece container consisting of two halves joined by a hinge area which allows the structure to come together to close. Strawberry clamshells usually come with a resin code, so I always thought they were recyclable. However, my apartment recycling guidelines claimed otherwise.
The clamshell is destined for the landfill? I was a bit confused. Strawberry clamshells seem like perfectly good plastic. So, why can’t they be recycled? I asked the Office of Sustainability here on the Princeton Campus and I was given two reasons:
Recyclers have a hard time selling recycled strawberry clamshells because manufacturers don’t want them. Recycling is market driven, so if there isn’t demand, the material isn’t recyclable.
Strawberry clamshells can jam recycling equipment due to their shape. Apparently, the shape of a container is more important than the resin code. Most clamshells have a resin code of #1. However, this is not the same #1 as plastic bottles, which is confusing.
Check with your local recycler, but you should probably be throwing your strawberry clamshells in the trash.
This article comes from itrashless edit released