If you love ice cream, you’re probably as familiar with the paper-based tubs in which the sweet treat comes packaged. However, you may not know that those paper tubs contain some plastic, and it’s not a given that your local Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) will recycle the tubs.

The paper containers for ice cream use plastic to create a durable barrier that protects the product and keeps the tubs from turning into a sticky amalgamation of melted dessert and paper pulp. The composition of mixed materials makes recycling more complicated.

Ambiguity over the recyclability of paper-based tubs creates a conundrum for ice cream brands. Do they choose the paper-based option, knowing it’s not universally accepted, or do they go full plastic but pick one widely accepted by curbside services and processed by MRFs?