Cardboard Recycling

Cardboard Recycling

Not sure what items around your house are suitable for recycling? This series of pages will cover all materials that an informed layman and consumer should be aware of regarding most commonly known recyclable materials- things like paper, Styrofoam, ink cartridges, and plastic water bottles.

We will also discuss some materials that are not widely known to be recyclable like rubber and concrete. There should be special attention given to materials that are poorly understood and/or hard to recycle.

Cardboard Recycling / ReUse or Recycle

Cardboard boxes remain extremely easy for recycling and minimizing their effects on the environment. The best form of recycling a cardboard is reusing. In most of the cases, even after the cardboard box has finished the job of successfully transporting the contents to the destination, the body remains solid.

Oftentimes, boxes remain more than capable of transporting another item to somewhere else. While recycling the old cardboard boxes, using this way might even assist one in recouping some of the original costs.

Further, if interested one can always give them to a friend or relative who is moving, who then can do the same for someone else. For anyone that has ever moved, you know that any help (no matter how trivial) is always welcome.

Cardboard Recycling / Break It Down

If the cardboard boxes cannot be reused then the option of giving away comes into effect. In some cases, where the box remains damaged beyond repair, one can still assist the environment by recycling it.

In most of the countries, the local authorities have diverse programs in place for collecting cardboard in a community recycling effort. As an alternative one can take the boxes to a local recycling bank. In both cases, the program will require that you break down and flatten the boxes.

Cardboard Recycling / Tips

Here are some other things to keep in mind when recycling cardboard:

Take cardboard boxes to your local supermarket if your community curbside recycling program does not accept one or both types of cardboard. Most supermarkets will take boxes.

See if your local recycling program will recycle waxed cardboard (milk and juice cartons) at the curbside. If not, your community may have a drop-off center for waxed cardboard. Call (800) CLEANUP for state recycling information.

Call the Corrugated Packaging Council for more information about recycling corrugated cardboard in your area at (800) 879-9777.

Sources

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/paper/setting/commercial.htm
http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
http://www.corrugated.org/Recycling/RecyclingProgram.aspx

Find a place near you to recycle your cardboard

Local/Denver http://www.denvergov.org/RecyclingDirectory/tabid/425356/Default.aspx
Australia http://www.visy.com.au/recycling/

For more information on recycling cardboard near you just input the phrase, recycling cardboard in 'your area' in your search engine search bar. Or go to earth911.com.

For more information on other types of materials that can be recycled and about why recycling is important follow these links:

What Materials Can Be Recycled

Recycling Lead

Recycle Carpet

Recycle Clip Art

Recycling Ink Cartridges

Recycling Metals

Recycling Old Computers

Recycling Paper

PET Recycling

Recycling Plastic Bottles

Recycling Styrofoam