Meal Kit Packaging Special Instructions Boxes and Paper Are Recyclable The cardboard box your meals are shipped in, cardboard dividers, paper trays and recipe cards are all made of paper. These pieces of your meal kit can be placed in the recycling. Ice Packs Are Garbage Gel from ice packs will clog drains, so never pour them out. Be sure to toss ice packs in the garbage. Plastic Bags Are Plastic Film Clean, dry plastic bags can be recycled separately with other plastic film. Plastic Clamshells, Bottles and Jars If these type of containers are smaller than three inches wide, toss them in the garbage. These containers are too small to be processed properly in most recycling facilities. If larger than three inches, check the container’s resin code — a number between 1 and 7 — and follow disposal instructions for that type of plastic. Insulating Materials If your kit comes with insulating materials, disposal depends on the material. Paper or cardboard insulators go in recycling. Plastic insulating material, such as foam or reflective bubble wrap, goes in the garbage. Ways to Reduce Cook at Home Once you’ve gotten the hang of making a few meals, keep the recipe cards and cook at home. You’ll create less waste and save money! Ways to Reuse Reuse Ice Packs Keep the ice packs from your meal kits to reuse at home. They work great for short trips with a cooler and can also be used on sore muscles. Reuse Reflective Bubble Wrap Keep reflective bubble wrap for shipping or storing fragile items. Upcycle Plastic Containers Have a bunch of non-recyclable plastic containers from your meal kits lying around? Check out these ways to upcycle them.