What Happens After the Recycling Bin: The Box Recycling Process

Collection

Cardboard is collected from homes and businesses, either loose, in containers, or as bales from businesses that compact their own. Keeping it dry and free of food and plastic makes it more useful to recyclers.

Sorting and Baling

At a recycling facility, corrugated is separated from other materials. Non-paper items such as plastic film and foam are removed, and the cardboard is compressed into dense bales for shipping.

Repulping

At the paper mill, bales are mixed with water and broken back down into fiber. Screens and cleaners remove tape, staples, and other contaminants.

New Paper Products

The recovered fiber is formed into new sheets, often linerboard and corrugating medium for new boxes. Fibers shorten each time they are recycled, so new fiber is still part of the overall supply.

Reuse Comes First

Recycling keeps fiber in use, but a box that is still sound can be reused first, which skips the whole process for that box.