Recycling paperboard has made the biggest impact in how much “trash” gets thrown away in our household. Since removing paperboard from our trash to the recycle pile, our weekly trash volume was cut by 40%. Weekly, we would place 2.5 bags of “trash” out for our curbside trash pickup for transport to the landfill. Now, after being conscious of paperboard as a recycle-able material, we now place 1.5 bags of trash per week. This is a huge savings in volume capacity to the landfills.
What is Paperboard? Can Paperboard be Recycled?
Paperboard, a cousin to cardboard, and also known as box board and container board is really, thicker paper. At some places you’ll find that paperboard may be combined with shredded paper due to the ‘lower grade’ or length of the paper threads. The trick in recycling paperboard is to evaluate the type you have – normal paperboard, shiny paperboard (most product packaging), a food to-go or take away paperboard box (though if heavily soiled can contaminate the other paper in the recycling process; through biodegrading of the food remnants). You’ll need to evaluate the paperboard and condition of the paperboard at the point of separation for recycling.
Overlooked Items as Recyclable Paperboard
Throwing out trash is one of those habits that is rote or something that is done without much thought to it. Think of the behavior and thought process of the situation: “I have something that I no longer need or is empty – I must throw it away”.
Therefore our trash would build up with paperboard recycling items such as:
- toilet paper rolls
paper towel rolls
gift wrapping paper rolls
soap boxes
cereal boxes
frozen food boxes
most packaged food boxes from a grocery store
ice cream boxes
food “to-go” boxes or take away boxes
the list could go on….
Paperboard (and cardboard) account for the largest amount, in volume, of the materials that I take to our recycling center. It really makes one stop and think about one’s own consumption of materials when you stare at your stored recycling materials that need to go to the center. I look at the other piles of recyclable materials in addition to paperboard such as glass, containers, plastics and paper and think, “wow, that’s a lot of space that isn’t taken up in a landfill.” To me, it is quite a sobering thought.
Please check with your curbside recycling provider or local recycling center as to the exact types and condition of paperboard they will accept to recycle.
Please use the comments section below to bring up any other points I may have neglected to mention in this post. Happy Recycling!
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