Recycling is community dependent. Girl Scout Cookie packages may or may not be accepted by your local recycling service depending on the types of materials it processes.
The box packaging for many of our cookies is made from paper and is recyclable. It contains 100% recycled content, so it may have been recycled numerous times already!
Several Girl Scout Cookie varieties are produced in soft-pack packaging only, without a carton. The film overwrap is like the protective wrapping found inside the packages of all cookie varieties and is recyclable in certain markets. While the shift to film overwrap has eliminated thousands of pounds of paperboard from the waste stream and the reduction in packaging weight has saved thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, the overwrap material may not be accepted by some local recycling services.
Some Girl Scout Cookie varieties come with a plastic tray inside either the box or soft pack and is used to protect the cookies during transport. The material may not be accepted by some local recycling services.
GSUSA is a member of the How2Recycle® label program (how2recycle.info). The How2Recycle label is a U.S. and Canada-based standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. We’re leveraging How2Recycle’s standardized labeling system on our consumer-facing packaging to provide clear instructions on how to recycle. How2Recycle is a project of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition® (sustainablepackaging.org), a membership-based group that brings together businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies to collectively broaden the understanding of packaging sustainability and develop meaningful improvements for packaging solutions.
We continue to work with our bakers to evaluate ways to maximize the recyclability of the package, while maintaining quality, freshness, and shelf life.