Moving Boxes and Moving Supplies

Moving Boxes Recycling

Corrugated has been recycled for decades, mostly by commercial users such as your neighborhood grocery store. As a matter of fact, almost 76% of all corrugated is currently recovered for recycling -- that's up from 54% in 1990. Families across America have joined in the effort as community recycling programs grew and matured, recycling a record-high 23.7 million tons of corrugated cardboard boxes in 2003.

The corrugated industry wants to recover its product to make more boxes, which almost always include substantial recycled content, and end users derive revenues from the sale of OCC (old corrugated containers).

Growing demand for and market value of OCC gives communities a good economic reason to recycle corrugated.

Less Is More.

Corrugated has improved quite a bit over the years. Box manufacturers have learned to make stronger boxes using less raw material. Environmentalists call this source reduction: using less raw material, and generating less waste at the source. Corrugated packaging also allows significant source reduction by eliminating the need for overwraps and secondary packaging.

What Happens To The Cardboard After I Drop It Off At The Recycling Center?

Cardboard recycling involves soaking in water and agitating to release fibres, turning them back into pulp. Metal and ink contaminants are removed, additional finishing chemicals are added; the pulp is pressed into sheets and dried. Although the fibres get shorter each time they are pulped, cardboard can be recycled four or five times before fibres degrade and disintegrate.

Second time around cardboard makes more boxes and packaging, but has an interesting range of other uses including stationery, animal bedding - and as a final resting place, coffins!