Can Cardboard Boxes Be Recycled?

Paper-based packaging is responsible for the felling of three billion trees every year. The impact on habitat loss and deforestation is significant, but manufacturers and retailers have the power to create a more sustainable future. Recyclable packaging is an excellent first step.

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Cardboard That Can’t Be Recycled

Most virgin paper products can be recycled. Egg cartons, toilet rolls, and cereal boxes are all recyclable through standard curb-side recycling programs. Not all cardboard is equally sustainable, though. Greasy packages will contaminate your recycling, so pizza boxes and the like need to be disposed of separately. The same goes for wax and plastic-coated cardboard, so juice cartons and waterproofed paper products aren’t eligible.

Identifying Contaminants

Mouldy and coated cardboard packaging is ineligible for ordinary recycling programs. Mould and other contaminants eat away at cardboard fibres, rendering it impossible to recycle. The surface must be free of velvet lining and bubble wrap, too. The simpler your packaging, the better.

Preparing Your Packaging

You can only recycle flattened cardboard that’s free of tape, glitter, and staples. If you’re looking for the most sustainable packaging for your products, select self-closing boxes that are easy to flatten and don’t require much processing. Choosing sustainable packaging from suppliers such as https://capscases.co.uk/services-2/sustainable-cardboard-packaging/ will assure you of recyclable materials that any homeowner can access easily.

Operating as a sustainable business improves your brand value and attracts a loyal consumer base. It also reduces both methane and greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the effects of global warming. Recycled paper uses up between 40% and 70% less energy.