How to Properly Recycle Boxes

Chances are, your office has some unused boxes somewhere in the back. They may be stacked in a closet, broken down on a warehouse floor or occupying a corner of the breakroom.

Particularly as employees and organizations become savvier about sustainability, you might be wondering how to recycle cardboard boxes as a way to sufficiently repurpose the material and reduce waste ending up in landfills.

Whether you’re developing new policies for your office or want to streamline your existing recycling efforts, consider the following:

Can Cardboard Boxes Be Recycled?

The answer is, yes — with some considerations. Most cardboard packaging can be recycled five to seven times. Repurposing the material prevents cutting down three tons of trees, saves nearly 25 percent of the energy needed to create one ton of virgin cardboard and requires 50-percent less sulfur dioxide. Reusing cardboard also helps conserve landfill space. Eliminating one ton of cardboard from this environment reduces up to nine cubic yards of waste.

Generally, recycled cardboard is repurposed into other cardboard boxes, as well as for thinner materials like paperboard or chipboard. All forms of cardboard — including paperboard and corrugated cardboard — can be recycled. Currently, old corrugated cardboard has the highest recovery rate of all paper products, at an estimated 95 percent.

Yet, when recycling cardboard boxes, you need to keep the following in mind for your office and personal habits:

·         Dented and ripped cardboard can still be recycled. However, wet cardboard needs to be dried out before it’s placed in a bin.

·         Labels and tape don’t have to be removed. You’re still recommended to remove as much as you can, as this streamlines the recycling process.

·         Only clean boxes can be recycled. As such, make sure boxes of cereal are completely free of food particles before you place them in your recycling bin. On this note, most pizza boxes, due to the material absorbing grease, aren’t recyclable in full. You’re, instead, recommended to cut off these areas to discard in the trash. This residue complicates separating paper fibers from oils and outside substances during the recycling process.

How Cardboard Boxes Get Recycled

After your recycling is collected, it gets sent to your town’s, city’s or region’s facility, where it’s separated from other paper products. At this stage, the material is grouped together, or “baled,” to be sent to a mill, where it will be shredded into smaller sheets.

These components are mechanically broken down further, in conjunction with water and chemicals, to create a fibrous substance. This process further helps remove ink and tape.

From here, the recycled pulp will be pressed, rolled and dried to become rolls of brown paper. This material can be layered into new cardboard or paperboard or be repurposed for another type of paper product.

How to Recycle Boxes

Specifically where cardboard boxes are concerned, you’ll want to:

1. Remove any packaging materials

Like oils and foods, these can slow down the recycling process. Remove packaging peanuts, paper, bubble wrap and anything else used inside the box.

2. Break the box down

This means flattening the box to take up less space in your recycling bin. You may need to use a box cutter or scissors to take the box apart and remove as much tape and labels you can. Then, flatten the box completely.

At this stage, remove any damp or oily areas, or portions of cardboard that have come in contact with chemicals or cleaning supplies.

3. Make sure the box is dry and clean

If your box has gotten wet, make sure the cardboard is fully dry before placing the flattened material into a recycling bin. As a note, wet paper tends to be heavier and results in a stiffer, denser product.

4. Place the boxes in the recycling bin

While this step seems straightforward, you may need to look up recycling standards for your area. Certain communities will collect boxes placed in and outside of your bin, while others only collect materials if they’re secured within your recycling container. You may need to recycle your boxes in batches over multiple weeks or travel to a drop-off location if your region has restrictions on placement and amounts.

As well, should rain or other inclement weather be predicted for your area, keep the bin inside or the contents fully covered until collected.

5. If you can’t recycle, repurpose or reuse

If your cardboard boxes can’t be collected for recycling:

·         Place the boxes into your compost pile. The box should be free of tape, labels and adhesive and should not have come in contact with any chemicals. Break the box down into smaller pieces and soak it in water to help it compost faster. Then, mix it with the compost pile’s green materials. Cardboard can break down within six to eight months.

·         Hold onto them for storage or moving: Both in office and home environments, cardboard boxes can be repurposed for organization, holding smaller items and for moving.

·         Use for future shipping: Do you occasionally ship products or supplies? Keep cardboard around for mailing, rather than purchase new boxes or packaging materials.

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