The 101 on Recycling Cardboard Boxes in the UK

Retail shops are full of cardboard boxes, and as a business owner, you must know how important these are as any company’s packaging solutions. These seemingly mundane items might even be the best packaging solutions when it comes to recycling and repurposing. In this article, we are going to guide you through the complete process of recycling cardboard boxes. But first, let’s understand the cardboard boxes and their types before we get into how to recycle cardboard boxes in the UK.

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard, the material that makes up cardboard boxes, is made up of cellulose fibres, which are created from wood pulp.

Types of Cardboard:

Not all cardboard is made the same way! The 2 main types of cardboard are paperboard and corrugated.

1. Paperboard Cardboard Boxes:

Paperboard Cardboard boxes are thinner than their counterparts, and have a foil coating or a waxy coating. These are used for shoe boxes or Cereal boxes.

2. Corrugated Cardboard Boxes:

Corrugated cardboard boxes are thicker and consist of 3 layers: a single fluted layer flanked on both sides by smooth layers. Large cardboard boxes are often corrugated and this allows them to be more durable. The strength is imperative in large cardboard boxes as these are often used to carry heavy or fragile items.

Recycling Cardboard Boxes:

As cardboard is made up of wood pulp, recycling cardboard is always a great idea, for the conservation of resources as it prevents further trees from being cut down. Instead when you recycle cardboard boxes, you are giving a new life to the trees that were cut down to provide wood pulp for cardboard boxes that have served their purpose once.

Also, now that you are aware of different types of cardboard boxes, it is important to note that both paper board and corrugated cardboard boxes do not go in the same recycling bins. This is because they are made in different manners, and they need to be disposed of for recycling in different ways too.

How to Recycle Cardboard Boxes?

It is clear that paperboard and corrugated cardboard boxes go in separate recycling bins, but there are a few things that should be done prior to disposing of these boxes into recycling bins.

1. First of all, you would need to flatten your large cardboard boxes. This makes transporting and processing much easier.
2. Secondly, you need to remove everything that is not cardboard itself, like stickers, labels, staples, foils, and sheets. Do this until you are left with featureless cardboard only. 
3. The final step you need to do is to discard everything separately, as all the stuff gets recycled differently. Plastic wraps won’t get recycled with cardboard. Therefore, always remember to discard them separately, into the right bin!
4. Most local councils have collection services for all community areas to collect recyclables, in the UK.  You need to check with them about information on the collection time and the kind of cardboard they collect.
5. Another way to recycle cardboard boxes is to take the cardboard materials to recycle centres yourself.

Repurposing Cardboard Boxes:

If for some reason you cannot recycle cardboard boxes, you can always repurpose them. Large cardboard boxes can double as a viable storage option. You could always give away the spare cardboard boxes you have no use of, to someone who needs them. Cardboard boxes can also be used for so many gardening and craft projects as well. If you are moving, why buy new cartons when you can just pack your stuff into your cardboard boxes?

As a Business How Can You Make Sure Your Customers Recycle Cardboard Boxes?

When you order packaging for your brand’s products, order custom cardboard boxes and add labels with instructions for your consumers about how they can recycle cardboard boxes. Recycling cardboard boxes has a huge impact on the sustainability of the environment and is not that difficult but most folks do not understand how to recycle right!

You as a business can contribute to this green movement by urging your consumers to recycle cardboard boxes, and by guiding them about what is the right way to do so. What good is your decision to choose sustainable packaging if it is not even recycled correctly? Now you must be wondering, where to buy cardboard boxes from?

The Bottom Line: Where to Buy Cardboard Boxes?

The simplest answer to the question “Where to buy cardboard boxes from?” is: The best packaging company. What makes a packaging company the best is the fact that they understand the assignment well, and provide you with the perfect packaging solutions, even more brilliant than the ones you had anticipated.

At Emenac Packaging UK we understand your brand’s requirements and our professional team of experts delivers impeccable packaging to your doorstep. We at Emenac also value sustainability and eco-friendliness and have a variety of top-notch cardboard boxes that can be recycled. Order from us today and get first-class recyclable packaging for your brand’s products!