Recycling Cardboard is Important — Here’s Why

The first step in recycling cardboard starts with you. For the process to work, you’ll need to break down the cardboard, flatten it out, and make it a size that will fit inside your curbside cart. Now it can be picked up at the curb and taken to the recycling facility where it is separated from other paper, such as office paper and newspaper. Cardboard is then baled and sent to a mill. There it is shredded into small pieces and put in a pulping machine to introduce water and chemicals to break down the cardboard into fibers. It’s those valuable fibers that can be used to make chipboard like cereal boxes, paperboard, paper towels, tissues, and printing and writing paper. There’s more: Such re-uses as structural panels, ceiling tiles, tabletop laminates and floor coverings are also made from recycled cardboard. And when you recycle cardboard right, it keeps it out of landfills where it will release methane gas when it starts to decompose, further contributing to environmental pollution. For more information, go to FlatCardboard.com.