Corrugated cardboard should be flattened and tied with sturdy twine in packages that are 18 inches tall or less. Packages should not be placed in transparent containers or bags unless broken into small pieces. In buildings with mechanized collection, the cardboard must be folded and placed in designated garbage containers. Make sure that there are no packaging materials, such as plastic, left in the box.
While you can remove the packaging tape or labels yourself, most recycling centers remove them themselves, so you don't have to worry about that. Your landlord is required to provide you with access to a recycling bin, so if you don't know where yours is, ask. Take the cardboard boxes to the recycling bin, divide them and put them in the bin marked with paper and cardboard. Rather than just throwing it in the trash, you might be wondering how to recycle cardboard boxes in the most sustainable way possible.
To facilitate the recycling of cardboard in New York City, LoadUp offers an easy and convenient collection of cardboard boxes in all five boroughs at a guaranteed price and in advance. If you have been provided with a large recycling bin, you can simply throw the loose cardboard into the bin before the collection day. As for total paper consumption, the average American consumes the equivalent of seven trees per year and much of this is cardboard. Marc Lallanilla is a former writer for The Spruce who has collaborated on articles on green living and sustainability, either on how to recycle correctly or on how to master ecological cleaning.
However, not all cardboard is created the same way and is recycled in the same way, and the methods for preparing cardboard for recycling may vary from community to community. In the “city that never sleeps”, it can be surprisingly difficult to get rid of cardboard boxes, especially when you have a lot of them. According to some recycling advocates, every ton of recycled cardboard saves 9 cubic yards of landfill space. Many community recycling programs require that you remove any foreign material from cardboard boxes, including packaging foam, bubble wrap, adhesive tape, or staples.
If cardboard waste has come into contact with liquids or any other contaminant, cut that part before recycling it.
