Cardboard

Carboard Recycling 101: Clean, Flatten, No Trash

  • Remove all packaging from the box. Tape is OK to leave on but remove all staples.
  • Flatten! Boxes are placed in a compactor but take up less space if they are flattened first
  • Keep clean and dry: Moisture, mold, and food residue can contaminate loads.
  • Recycle your pizza boxes but make sure there are no food chunks.
    • Grease in the box is okay, but we can’t recycle food waste left in the box.

Cardboard Recycling Facts

From RoadRunnerWM:

  • Recycling cardboard only takes 75% of the energy required to make new cardboard
  • The recycling rate for cardboard in the U.S. reached a record high of nearly 97% in 2019
  • Around 80% of retailers and grocers recycle cardboard
  • 70% of corrugated cardboard is recovered for recycling
  • Approximately 100 billion cardboard boxes are produced each year in the U.S.
  • One ton of recycled cardboard saves 46 gallons of oil
  • One ton of recycled cardboard saves 9 cubic yards of landfill space

Also, Paperboard is not the same as corrugated cardboard. Paperboard is recyclable, but it goes into “mixed paper”. It is:

  • Single-layer, thicker paper stock.
  • Used for cereal boxes, shoe boxes, tissue boxes, etc.
  • Thinner and less sturdy than corrugated cardboard.

What Happens to Cardboard in Eastham

Recycled cardboard gets pulped and turned into new paper-based products—often multiple times before the fibers wear out. In its first pass, cardboard becomes

  • New corrugated cardboard boxes (most common use)
  • Paperboard packaging (cereal boxes, shoe boxes, tissue boxes)
  • Paper bags
  • Writing and printing paper

Each time cardboard is recycled, the paper fibers get shorter and weaker. Eventually, those fibers are too short to make new paper, so they might be used for tissue products or compostable pulp items before their end of life.

How Much Cardboard Gets Recycled in Eastham

In Massachusetts, all recyclable paper, cardboard, and paperboard products are banned from disposal by the Massachusetts Waste Bans

Locally, Eastham residents are doing their part:

  • 2023: 186.70 tons of cardboard recycled
  • 2024: 210.76 tons recycled

Eastham earns revenue on recycled cardboard. When cardboard is put in solid waste, we end our paying and also increase emissions due to incineration.

More Information

Check out these resources for more information.

Eastham Recycling Committee