In this article, you’ll learn everything about cardboard recycling near you.
This will include how to prepare this waste for reclaiming, where to reprocess it, and the perks of recycling cardboard.
Recycle Cardboard Near Me
Cardboard cartons, trays, boxes, and other transportable goods containers are typical in homes.
Because it’s lightweight, durable, and cheap, almost every item you purchase comes in a cardboard package. However, the leftover cardboard waste is often dumped in bins when things have been unpackaged.
This waste takes up significant space in landfills and also impacts the land.
The best way to eliminate such waste is to give them a new life through recycling. Besides, you can also get paid for it. So what are you waiting for?
Reasons to Recycle Waste Cardboards
The fact that you want to go green is enough to reprocess this waste paper material. Cardboard is naturally biodegradable and can be reclaimed without food, oil, or water contamination.
Research indicates that some cardboard boxes are made from 100 percent recyclable materials. Then others are made from 80-90 percent reclaimable materials.
Another reason why we should consider renewing this waste because recycling reduces the energy required to make this item from scratch.
You’ll be surprised to hear about 1.1 barrels of oil to manufacture a ton of cardboard. That’s a massive consumption of energy.
Furthermore, reclaiming cardboard reduces the usage of virgin raw materials. According to some experts, paper products consumed by an individual take about seven trees.
So you can imagine how many trees will be saved if such materials are renewed.
Types of Cardboard You Can Reclaim
Several types of cardboard are recyclable.
These include chipboards, fiberboard, old corrugated, Gaylord totes, tube rolls, bales, plates, and cardboard packaging.
As mentioned earlier, you can’t recycle cardboard contaminated with grease, food residue, and water. Pizza boxes are one among the cardboard that isn’t reclaimable.
Where to Recycle Cardboard
When it comes to renewing your waste papers, there’re several options. You can start with your local recycling centers. However, you’ll need to inquire if they accept such waste.
In my state, there are many options to recycle moving boxes near me.
While some local reclaiming facilities will pay you for going green, others will not. But this shouldn’t be a point of concern.
Furthermore, most local recycling centers around the country are well-experienced. As such, they can help reduce the number of cardboard sent to landfills and lower environmental impacts.
They’ll also add a new revenue stream to support your bottom line.
Besides local reprocessing centers, you can recycle cardboard with specialized businesses handling this material.
Amongst them are trash bins stores, commercial outlet that generates cardboard waste, and scrap yards. After collecting and sorting, these businesses measure and haul waste cardboard to reclaiming facilities or paper mills.
How to Prepare Cardboards for Reclaiming
Before placing cardboard in trash cans or taking it to reprocess industries, you must do a few things—first, separate cardboard from other unrecyclable waste, such as plastic foam and packing peanuts.
Next, you break down your paper boxes until they’re flat. If you’re handling thick cardboard, you may need scissors or a box cutter to facilitate the process.
Once you’re done, you sort out corrugated boxes from boxboards. These two boxes differ from one another. Corrugated boxes are thick and often come in multiple layers.
Then boxboards are thin cardboard boxes typically used to package food, soda, etc. Cardboards with a special wax or plastic lining should also be kept aside.
Recycling Cardboards Near Me – Procedures
All the steps involve in renewing this material aren’t complex.
Moreover, getting started doesn’t require specific skills or a license. Once you’re determined, you can do it successfully. Let’s take a look at these steps.
Collect Waste Cardboards
The first thing to do when recycling waste cardboard is a collection.
You can obtain this material from several collection spots, including commercial outlets generating paper waste, stores, trash bins, etc.
You can also collect waste cardboard from private sellers around the neighborhood and beyond.
Send to Recycling Center
Once you’re done with the collection, the next thing to do is send this material to reprocessing facilities.
As earlier noted in the preparatory steps, these establishments will sort them out accordingly. Separation is necessary because paper mills handle different grades of recovered paper materials.
Shredd and Pulp Waste Cardboard
Shredding and pulping are vital to recycling waste cardboard. The paper fibers are broken down into minute pieces and mixed with water and other chemicals.
Such additives are to turn the broken threads into a slurry substance. Afterward, they will blend it with new pulp from wood chips to solidify it.
Filtering
After pulping, the material needs to pass through a comprehensive filtering process. The aim is to eliminate all foreign materials and impurities such as tape, strings, glue, etc.
Moreover, they will take it to where they will remove contaminants such as plastics and staples. Most reclaiming facilities employ the centrifuge-like process for such removal.
Now, they will put the recycled cardboard in a chemical floatation device.
This is to eliminate all dye and inks. Once this is done, they will forward the material to paper mills, turning it into a new product.
Can I Dump Waste Cardboard on the Curbside?
Yes! You can discard such waste in bins. Most curbside pickups provide bins for recyclable paper products, including cardboard.
You can break down your cardboard packaging boxes and place them into these bins. However, if you have a large amount of cardboard to recycle, it’ll be best to locate a nearby reclaiming center.
Alternative to Reclaiming Waste Cardboard
Other than recycling waste cardboard, you can use the alternative of repurposing. It’s eco-friendly, safe, and cost-efficient. You can use cardboard boxes for storage purposes.
Some people do keep their jewelry and other accessories in them. You can also use it as a container to separate items for recycling.
Reclaiming cardboard is one of the efficient ways to go green. As previously mentioned, it’s an easy way to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.
If you’ve been wondering how to recycle this material, you have nothing to worry about. The details above will give you a guide. We have also prepared a guide on paper recycling.