Cardboard is Great to Recycle (if done right) – Regional Recycling & Waste Reduction District (2024)

FAQs

How much is one bale of cardboard worth? ›

The price of baled cardboard in the United States in 2023 is about $20 – $26 per bale or about $0.02 – $0.03 per pound, so a load of 6 large ...

The price per tonne of scrap cardboard went from an all time low of around £13 per tonne at the end of 2019 (this is no longer reflected in the graph as we update it regularly). It was at a shocking high of around £150 per tonne in the middle of 2022 (max. price was actually £165).

So, how is cardboard recycled? Cardboard recycling involves a 6-step process. These steps are collection, sorting, shredding and pulping, filtering, finishing, and converting back into corrugated board. It is possible to recycle cardboard more than 20 times before the fibres become too weak.

If cardboard was to be sent to landfill, it would release methane (a greenhouse gas) as the material is broken down, which can have a powerful and detrimental impact on the earth's climate. However, by instead recycling cardboard, the amount of greenhouse gasses released into the environment is heavily reduced.

Bales of cardboard are valuable secondary raw materials for new cardboard and are worth money on the world market for wood fiber products. The value or price of a bale of cardboard can fluctuate considerably.

Cardboard may have a positive return in some months, while the value may be more limited in other months. However, recycling corrugated cardboard can save money in other ways, even if there is no demand for recycled cardboard. Sometimes, the cost of recycling is less than the cost of hauling and landfill fees.

This document provides a cost table for cardboard boxes based on their total surface area in inches. The cost per square inch is $0.00147, and the table breaks down pricing in $0.74 increments from $0.74 for boxes under 500 square inches up to $6.25 for boxes over 4,000 square inches.

Bale Sizes

For vertical cardboard balers, the sizes come in small, medium, and large, each with different capacities and strengths. The small bales weigh around 67 to 133 lbs, the medium size goes for 444 to 768 lbs, and the large size is often about 889 to 1667 lbs.

How is cardboard recycled? The first step in recycling cardboard is to separate it from other paper, such as office paper and newspaper. The cardboard is then baled and sent to a mill, shredded into small pieces, and put in a pulping machine to introduce water/chemicals and break down the cardboard into fibers.

Paperboard or Chipboard

When the fibers become too thin to create strong corrugated cardboard, they are then used for a class of cardboard called paperboard. Paperboard or chipboard boxes are used for cereal boxes, cake mix boxes and cases of pop.

What kind of cardboard cannot be recycled? ›

Waxed cardboard cannot be recycled. Waxed cardboard is a multi-layered cardboard coated with plastic and is mostly used by retailers for shipping produce, so unless you've brought your groceries home in a produce box, you most likely don't have it in your home.

Waxed cardboard is generally identified by scraping a fingernail across its surface. The resulting waxy residue should be very prominent. Usually the waxing process is used to waterproof containers and is found on milk cartons, juice cartons, frozen food boxes, and kids juice boxes to name a few.

From an environmental standpoint, cardboard needs to be recycled. Why? Because if it is put in landfills, as it deteriorates and chemically breaks down, cardboard contributes to global warming leading to climate change. This occurs as decomposing cardboard releases methane.

It involves consuming large amounts of water and energy, and using virgin wood pulp contributes to deforestation and habitat destruction. Additionally, cardboard that ends up in landfills decomposes anaerobically, producing methane over 20 times the potent greenhouse gas.

To ensure you get paid for your cardboard, there needs to be a high enough volume to produce a “Mill Size Bale”. Some recyclers pay for smaller bales, but it's less common.

60" standard and high density balers are commonly used to bale cardboard for recycling. These balers produce a bale that is approximately 60" x 42" x 30", which is also known as a 'mill size bale'. A mill size bale is recommended in order to sell recycled cardboard.

A standard mill sized bale is 60″ x 30-51″ x 30″. A mill sized bale can range anywhere from 800 to over 1000 pounds, depending on what is being baled.