Confused shopper highlights major problem with food found in grocery store: 'Does anyone know?'

Holding up a can of cashews, one Redditor posted a question about the proper disposal of a mixed-material container.

They described it as having "metal on top and bottom, but lined cardboard in-between" and asked the r/recycling subreddit community, "Does anyone know what [to] do with tins like this?"

The answer may depend on where a person lives, as there are various recycling services and regulations in different locales. One person responded, "Simple answer separate the steel from the cardboard."

Overall, metal is highly recyclable. But steel, like aluminum, also has infinite life fatigue. That means it can be recycled repeatedly without a loss of structural integrity, per Limit Stress Evaluation.

As a byproduct of trees, cardboard is highly biodegradable, making it the perfect item to reuse in natural mulching or composting.

Be aware that many recycling facilities won't accept cardboard if it's covered in wax, a common addition in can linings or gift boxes. Earth 911 advises looking for recycling programs that accept wet-strength or frozen paper boxes since they're most likely to take waxed cardboard as well.

Reusing items instead of automatically trashing them reduces existing stress on American landfills, which take in about 146 million tons of waste annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition to scheduled recycling bin services, organizations like ThredUp and GotSneakers will accept your old clothes, accessories, household goods, and shoes in exchange for cash or rebates.

Several commenters offered suggestions for how the original poster might handle these containers.

One stand-out comment passed on insight from the Virginia Recycling Association: "[A tube container manufacturer] encouraged the recycling of the cardboard tube with metal ends in the single stream curbside bin. At the [materials recovery facility] the magnet picks up the metal and sorts the containers with the steel cans. The cardboard is burned off in the smelter."

What confuses you most about recycling protocol? Which materials I can recycle 📦 How clean the material needs to be 🧼 What the plastic numbers mean ♻️ Nothing at all 😇 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

In response, the OP said, "Thank you, that's very interesting," while another commenter praised, "This is great info!"

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