Of all paper products, carboard has the highest recycling rate in the nation sitting comfortably at 92.9% (according to a study in 2015). This impressive recycling rate is most likely due to its durability--it is made of long paper fibers which makes for a strong paper product.
When recycling cardboard as a consumer, as most of us obtain cardboard from packages (thank you, Amazon!), it is imparative to first remove any and all shipping materials from the box. Remove all plastic wrap, tape, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap. Now that the fluffy parts of the packaging have been removed, you can get started!
Here are some preparation details to follow when recycling your cardboard:
Cut away any tape that was used to seal the package at the top or bottom of the box
Collapse the box so it is completely flat
If the box contained a large item, you are working with a large box! We'll need to cut this box into smaller, more managable pieces
Make sure each cut section can fit into a recycling container without "clogging" the bin itself
If the box is soiled from food or grease (pizza boxes for example), cut out any spoil spots prior to disposing of the box into the recycling bin
And voila! You are ready to recycle your cardboard box.
Some of you may have questions. For example, do you need to remove tape and labels form the outisde of the box itself? The answer to this is simply "no." The tape and shipping labels are filtered out during the recycling process and, in case you were about to ask, the ink from these items is also filtered out. Another question you may be asking, why can't wet cardboard be recycled? Why do I have to remove the soiled spots from the box? Great question. Even though paper recycling processes do include an amount of water, attempting to recycle cardboard that is wet before reaching the recycling facility, will dry before it is processed and manipulate the fiberous tissue (essentially, the cardboard becomes much stiffer). It will be much more difficult for the paper mills to process and successfully recycle the cardboard.
Still have questions about recycling cardboard? Call us today for your recycling needs: (844) 88TAKE2 or (844) 888-2532
