6 Reasons Businesses Should Stop Throwing Away Their Cardboard

24th Mar 2023

Cardboard is often touted as the more eco-friendly alternative packaging to plastic. It’s made from renewable sources, biodegradable and widely recyclable, so it’s easy to see why. Annually, we consume around 400 million tonnes of paper and cardboard globally, so we can’t afford to assume that we have a “get-out-of-jail-free” card for cardboard disposal. 

There are also sound economic arguments for why businesses should stop throwing their cardboard away. From reducing storage or disposal costs to cutting spending on packing materials, businesses can benefit financially and deliver on their Corporate Social Responsibility targets. 

In this post, we’ll highlight six reasons why businesses should recycle or reuse their cardboard and provide you with some handy tips to make the switch. 

What Exactly is Cardboard?

Cardboard is made of wood pulp, the same source material as paper, but is typically thicker and sturdier. There are wide varieties of cardboard from thin cardstock to tough, corrugated cardboard. 

Is Cardboard Eco-Friendly?

Cardboard is often considered more eco-friendly than other materials, such as plastic – but does it live up to the hype?

Here are a few of cardboard’s green credentials:

Recyclable – As cardboard is made from natural fibres, it’s easily recyclable.

Renewable – The raw material for cardboard is trees, which are renewable. 
Biodegradable – Wood pulp decomposes in a matter of months if it hasn’t been coated in chemicals.

However, it’s not all a bed of roses. It takes a considerable amount of energy to manufacture new paper or cardboard. It’s estimated that the paper industry contributes around 2% of the world’s total carbon footprint. When we also factor in how much cardboard we use, it’s clear the answer isn’t clear-cut.   

Should We Reduce, Reuse or Recycle Cardboard?

There’s a growing awareness that we shouldn’t throw our cardboard in general waste. But what can you do to minimise the environmental impact of your waste cardboard?  

Recycle – Cardboard is one of the most commonly recycled materials, which keeps it out of landfills. As of 2021, 70.6% of paper and cardboard packaging is recycled in the UK. 
Reuse – An alternative to recycling or throwing away old cardboard is to find a new use for it, like a good old “Blue Peter'' project. Even businesses can put their excess cardboard to good use, as shredded cardboard is a cheaper alternative to packing peanuts.
Reduce – Of course, simply cutting the amount of cardboard we use can also help to reduce our impact on climate change.

A combination of all three is our best chance to successfully reduce our cardboard carbon footprint. 

Why is Recycling Cardboard Important?

Recycling is a critical step in the circular economy that enables us to make the most effective and sustainable use of our limited resources. 

Lowering Landfill Waste

Cardboard is both bulky and heavy. As a result, when it ends up in a landfill, it takes up a huge amount of space. Some studies estimate that every ton of paper or cardboard that’s recycled saves 2.29 cubic metres of landfill space.   

Minimising Methane Emissions

Climate change is a very real issue. The earth’s temperature has already risen 1.1ºC since 1880. One of the top contributors to greenhouse gases is methane, which is released as cardboard biodegrades. Recycling prevents the cardboard from decomposing and reduces the amount of methane released.

Reducing Transit-related Greenhouse Gases

Recycling cardboard decreases the demand for new raw materials, and therefore the need to transport them. In addition, if cardboard is recycled in-country, we can reduce its transit miles, how much we import from overseas and overall CO2 emissions. 

Conserving Forests

Eliminating the need for new cardboard products reduces the need to cut down trees and slows deforestation globally. Cardboard can be recycled up to seven times before the fibres become too short to be reused. It’s estimated that for every ton of paper that’s recycled, 17 trees are saved from the chop. 

Protecting Wildlife

We currently consume cardboard faster than we replace the trees to make it, which in turn eradicates many wildlife species’ natural habitats and puts animals at risk of extinction. 

Lowering Natural Resource Consumption

Manufacturing cardboard doesn’t only require trees. Producing the humble cardboard box from recycled rather than raw materials drastically reduce the amount of energy, water and oil used in the manufacturing process. 

How Can You Manage Your Cardboard?

Cardboard is a byproduct in many businesses, predominantly because it’s commonly used in packaging. However, cardboard can become troublesome for businesses to store and dispose of it responsibly. There are many great recycling solutions that can save businesses time, money and space. 

Cardboard Balers

Cardboard is loaded into a cardboard balers chamber (doubling as storage space!) and compressed by a hydraulic ram, which squashes it into a dense block, known as a bale. The bale can then be tied up to be collected by a recycling company. 

Cardboard Shredders

Surplus cardboard can be placed into a cardboard shredder to slice it into smaller pieces, which are useful in their own right. Shredded cardboard is an environmentally-friendly alternative to bubble wrap or packing peanuts. 

What Benefits Can You Expect?

Aside from the environmental benefits mentioned, there are many sound business reasons for recycling or reusing your cardboard:

Recycling can reduce your overall waste disposal costs; 
Shredded cardboard can be used as low-cost packaging; and
You may open up a new revenue source by selling your recyclables.

Explore Our Recycling Solutions

At QCR, we understand that waste management needs to be cost-effective as well as sustainable. That’s why we offer affordable recycling solutions for all materials, including glass, plastic and cardboard. Get in touch with us today to find the best solution to fit your business.