While the majority of us are now used to recycling at home, few of us know the ins and outs of how cardboard recycling works in practice, and the processes that cardboard packaging goes through to minimise the environmental impact as much as possible.

What can be recycled?

The majority of cardboard packaging such as capscases.co.uk/services-2/sustainable-cardboard-packaging, can be easily recycled, so long as the cardboard itself is clean and dry, and isn’t excessively covered in any food residue.

What Happens During the Recycling Process?

Once cardboard is collected by the council or refuse collection agency, it’s sorted out into type, before being shredded and pulped. Once this process has taken place, the pulped cardboard is pressed into sheets, before being manufactured into new packaging.

Interestingly, cardboard can be recycled an average of 5 to 7 times before it begins to be unsuitable for further use, so it’s really beneficial to the environment to throw any cardboard into the recycling pile.

How can we Maximise Recycling Rates?

Whether you’re recycling at home or in your place of work, there are a few things we can do to improve recycling rates and ensure we’re being as sustainable as possible when it comes to cardboard recycling.

Always remove anything non-recyclable from the cardboard before popping it into the recycling bin, such as sticky tape or parcel tape. Take care to remove any labels which may not be recyclable. Flatten boxes wherever possible and try to keep them dry so they can be processed.