Cardboard Recycling: A Simple Solution for Waste Reduction

Cardboard is one of the most recycled materials in the UK, with around 71% of paper and cardboard waste generated by households recycled in 2021. For many UK businesses, it is one of the biggest waste streams so it can make sense to use a waste compactor or baler to help you capitalise on your cardboard recycling potential.

Using a cardboard baler can help your business to:

• Reduce waste going to landfills; 
• Save money on disposal costs; 
• Save valuable space
• Create a new revenue stream; and
• Deliver on your sustainability promises.  

The Importance of Recycling Cardboard

Recycling is more than a buzzword, with the UK government committed to meeting targets to recycle or reuse 65% of all UK municipal waste by 2030. Here’s the lowdown on why recycling cardboard is important. 

Sustainability

Recycling or reusing cardboard helps to keep it out of landfills. It contributes to the circular economy by keeping materials in use for as long as possible, thus reducing our demand for raw materials.

Waste Management

Cardboard destined for recycling is kept out of landfills, which can cause substantial air and water pollution. Keeping as much material out of landfills as possible reduces the negative impact we have on our environment. 

Resource Conservation

Using recycled cardboard to manufacture new products means that we use fewer trees. Ultimately, this will reduce our impact on the greenhouse effect and slow the rate of deforestation, protecting forests and woodland for future generations, as well as the wildlife living within them. 

The Benefits of Recycling Cardboard

Recycling cardboard has benefits for both the global community and your business.

Cost Savings

Sending your cardboard to a recycling centre significantly cuts your disposal costs. Using a baler compresses your cardboard meaning more material can be transported in a single load and could bring your business average savings of £1,248 per annum. 

Cardboard recycling can also open a new revenue stream for your business. Many companies are willing to pay for high-quality recyclable materials, ready to be reused or remade into something new. 

Energy Conservation

Manufacturing cardboard from recycled materials can save considerable amounts of energy, uses fewer raw materials and less water than making from scratch. While there aren’t any exact figures, it’s estimated that 25-50% of energy may be saved by using recycled cardboard. 

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Recycling cardboard can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in two main ways. 

Firstly, by recycling cardboard waste, we keep it out of landfills. As it decomposes, it releases methane which contributes to the greenhouse effect. 

Secondly, if we recycle our cardboard within the UK, we cut the transportation miles and reduce how much we import from overseas, which lessens our carbon footprint. 

Challenges and Limitations of Cardboard Recycling

There’s no doubt that we should be recycling as much as we can to protect our environment, but recycling cardboard can have its challenges. 

Contamination

Only clean cardboard can be recycled into new products. Any cardboard that is contaminated with food residue, oil, plastic tape, or adheisive on labels cannot be recycled and will end up in landfills.  No need to worry about small amounts of Sellotape and labels – some even use organic and bio-degradable sugar adhesives.

Market Fluctuations

Cardboard recycling is heavily influenced by market demand. For example, many consumers turned to e-commerce during the Covid pandemic years, resulting in a significant increase in the demand for cardboard packaging.

Since the relaxation of lockdowns around the world, the demand for used cardboard has dropped significantly. As a result, the prices paid have also started to decline, which may reduce cardboard recycling levels although it is still extremely attractive to earn a income from a waste product in manufacture.

Transportation

Cardboard is a bulky, heavy material, especially when you compare it to plastic, so it can take more vehicles and fuel to transport. Consequently, it’s important to remember that transporting it for recycling does not have zero carbon emissions and using a baler can significantly reduce transport emissions.  

Best Practices for Recycling Cardboard

To maximise the amount we recycle, there are several best practices that we can follow. 

Segregation

Your cardboard should be separated by type, as not all boxes are made equally. While paper and cardboard can be recycled together, they’re usually kept separate as they’ll become different end products. 

Flattening

The cardboard should be flattened to remove excess air. This is where a compactor or baler is ideal as you can squash more cardboard together before it’s transported, reducing storage space needs.

Reducing Contamination

Only clean cardboard should be sent for recycling. Any plastic tape, glitter or polystyrene should be removed. Even a small amount of contamination will render the whole batch unrecyclable. 

Proper Disposal

For peace of mind, confidential material should be shredded for proper disposal. Use a paper or cardboard shredder to cross-cut your cardboard before you send it for recycling. Not only will it keep personal data out of the wrong hands, but you can also use the shredded card in place of foam packing peanuts. 

Case Studies of Successful Cardboard Recycling Programs

Retailers are often faced with the tricky problem of finding enough storage space to store the waste cardboard before it’s disposed of. 

One large supermarket chain approached us when it was faced with this problem. It could often fill 30 cages of cardboard per day, per store. With over 500 stores in the UK, that’s a lot of cardboard! We supplied the chain with a waste equipment system, including bin compactors and balers, which meant that six cages of cardboard could now be compressed into a single bale.  

For more inspiration, check out our client case studies. 

In a Nutshell...

Cardboard recycling is an important part of day-to-day business operations and is vital to protect our environment. Implementing an effective waste solution and using the correct recycling equipment is crucial to ensure that your recycling efforts are cost-effective. 

Discover Our Waste Recycling Balers

At QCR, we offer a wide range of balers and compactors for sale or rent to help you save time, space, and money. Get in touch today to discuss your needs.