It’s important to note that not all cardboard can be recycled. Made of just a single layer or grayish paper material, this type of cardboard is more flimsy than corrugated cardboard, making it easier to tear or flatten. Paperboard, also known as chipboard, is commonly used to produce containers for food and consumer goods, such as shoe boxes or cereal boxes. These brown packing boxes contain an inner layer of cardboard between liner sheets to make them more durable.Īccording to the American Forest & Paper Association, Old Corrugated Cardboard/Containers (OCC) - which is a recycling industry term referring to used corrugated cardboard - had an incredibly high recovery rate of 96.4% in 2018, the highest recycling rate of paper products. Corrugated cardboard is what is typically used for the boxes sent through the mail. There are two primary types of cardboard: corrugated cardboard and paperboard. There are some important facts to know about cardboard recycling and a variety of ways you can make the most of your cardboard waste. Recycled cardboard also saves 24% of the energy needed to produce virgin cardboard. When one ton of cardboard is recycled, it effectively eliminates nine cubic yards of landfill space. For starters, it takes approximately three tons of trees to make one ton of virgin cardboard. There are several statistics that highlight the importance of recycling cardboard. Sure, some people have designated recycling bins or areas to dispose of their cardboard, but others don’t share this luxury, let alone instructions from local authorities explaining how to recycle properly. The recycling process can actually be quite confusing. Instead of simply throwing it in the trash, you may be wondering how to recycle cardboard boxes in the most sustainable way possible.īelieve it or not, recycling cardboard is not simple for everyone. They pop up when we’re moving to a new house, storing away some unused items or even when ordering a pizza. It’s not just the post office that fills our limited space with cardboard boxes.
But once that new clothing item or household item is unwrapped, suddenly you’re left with a bulky and used cardboard box. You split open the packaging tape with haste, revealing that much-needed product you’ve been waiting for. We all know the excitement that arises when a long-awaited package arrives at our front door.