Why Recycle Corrugated Cardboard?

Corrugated cardboard is a material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is made on “flute lamination machines” or “corrugators” and is used in the manufacture of shipping containers and corrugated boxes.

Includes packaging and shipping boxes such as, Amazon, USPS, FedEx, DHL type boxes.  Things to help you identify corrugated cardboard include:

• Edge Crush Test.
• Burst strength.
• Flat crush test.
• Bending resistance.
• Impact resistance.
• Cushioning, shock absorption.
• Tear resistance.
• Grammage (mass per unit of area) for components and for combined board.

Corrugated cardboard is an excellent source of fiber for recycling since the material is sturdier, can be easily compacted and baled for cost effective transport to processors, and once pulped can be used to make a wide variety of other end products.  Material that can make cardboard difficult to recycle or reduce its value include: wax coating and sticky residue such as book binding, hot glue and melt adhesives, paper labels, laminated adhesive and gum tape.  Remember to recycle clean and dry corrugated cardboard as soon as possible.

What about cereal boxes, tissue boxes, toilet paper rolls, and other boxes like that?  Should I recycle those?

Short answer: Yes, but... 

These type of boxes are NOT corrugated cardboard and although accepted for recycling, are a very low quality/value items.  Cereal boxes, tissue boxes, toilet paper rolls, etc. are called paperboard/chipboard.  These type of boxes are often made from recycled, pulped and milled corrugated cardboard and are a drastically lower quality material.  Due to its less sturdy characteristic chipboard/paperboard are not the most desirable for recycling.