Meat Packaging Trash Most components of meat packaging should be placed in trash. This includes: absorbant pads, butcher paper, foam, plastic wrap, and/or shrink wrap. If the tray is made out of #1, #2, or #5 plastic, it may get recycled. Rinse off any residue before placing in recycling container. Do Not Recycle Butcher Paper Butcher paper is a paper coated in wax that cannot be recycled. If wax paper mixes with paper recycling, it will weaken and ruin that batch of recycling. Ways to Reduce Visit the Meat Counter Going to the meat counter at the supermarket is more eco-friendly than buying prepackaged meat. Meat counter workers often wrap meat in butcher paper, which reduces plastic waste. Did You Know? Even Meat Packaging is Becoming Eco-Friendly (Sort Of) Food is one of the recycling industry’s major contaminants, so meat packagers are already at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to making their product recyclable. Some packaging companies, however, are now making compostable meat trays, so they can degrade in an industrial composting plant after they’re thrown out.