cardboard waste collection
No. 1 for Cardboard Recycling

Cardboard Collection

Waste cardboard is one of the easiest materials to recycle as it’s made from natural wood fibres. Almost all businesses use it in one form or another on a regular basis, usually as packaging. Rather than throwing it in with general waste that ends up in landfill, choose cardboard recycling for a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice.

At Business Waste, we provide free cardboard recycling bins and offer cardboard collection anywhere in the UK. Contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 or complete our online form for a fast and free quote today.

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Cardboard waste 
disposal

Our cardboard recycling services offer your business a low-cost and simple solution to remove your waste cardboard. We cover all of the UK, so wherever you’re based and whatever the size and type of businesses, we can arrange cardboard collection to suit your needs.

Whether you have a small office and just need your cardboard bin emptying once a fortnight or run large-scale operations that require regular bulk cardboard recycling, we can provide a solution tailored to your business. Simply tell us the size and number of cardboard recycling bins you need and how often you want them collecting for a free, fast quote.

We provide free cardboard recycling bins near you with delivery included, so you just pay for collection. Fill them up with clean and dry cardboard in time for the agreed collection and enjoy the benefits of your used cardboard heading to recycling rather than landfill. We’re fully committed to reducing the impact excessive waste has on the environment.

For more information and advice on how we can meet your cardboard recycling needs, contact us today for further assistance. We can offer you a free quote for a variety of cardboard recycling bins, so call us today on 0800 211 83 90.

Contact us today for a quote

Cardboard 
recycling

The general process for cardboard waste recycling after collection from your business is:

  1. Waste cardboard arrives at a recycling centre and is sorted into boxboard (flat sheets) and corrugated board. Paper and cardboard recycling can happen together, but it’s important to separate grades as they go into different products after recycling.
  2. The cardboard is then shredded into tiny pieces and mixed with water and chemicals that turn it into a slurry.
  3. This recycled pulp is then mixed with a small proportion of new pulp made from wood chips.
  4. Next the mixture goes through a series of filtering, chemical, and centrifugal processes. These eliminate tape, metals, plastics, and ink.
  5. The cleaned pulp is dried and pressed to form long sheets. These sheets are glued together to make new cardboard.
How to reduce cardboard waste
cardboard waste collection

Cardboard
recycling bins

Waste cardboard can take up a large amount of space. Sadly, many organisations admit to throwing it away, as they don’t have the recycling or storage facilities for such large quantities. We can provide your business with a free cardboard recycling bin in various sizes for daily, weekly, or fortnightly cardboard collection that meets your needs.

Easily store waste cardboard on your premises with our cardboard recycling bins and arrange collection when it’s convenient for you. Cardboard recycling is safe, simple and a great way to replenish resources for your business. It’s essential your business recycles this useful material and efficiently manages cardboard waste across your operations.

Find a cardboard recycling bin right for your business.

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  • 240L Cardboard recycling bin

    Small, two-wheel cardboard bins like domestic ones

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  • 660L Cardboard recycling bin

    Medium sized cardboard bins with four wheels

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  • 1100L Cardboard recycling bin

    Large cardboard bins that hold lots of used cardboard

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How does 
cardboard collection work?

  1. Select your free bins

    It’s quick and easy to organise commercial waste collection for your business.

    Simply start by telling us the:

    • Type of waste you need removing
    • Size of bins you require
    • Number of bins you want

    We’ll provide you with a free quote.

  2. Arrange delivery

    When you’re happy with the type, number, and size of free bins, tell us when you need your bins delivering.

    Let us know about any access issues where you want the bins delivering – such as locked gates, access codes and times. We’ll get you up and running in no time.

  3. Fill up your bin

    After the free bins arrive at your chosen location, fill them up with the agreed waste type.

    Make sure you remain within any weight limits for the specific waste type and bin size.

  4. Get your business waste collected

    We’ll arrange waste collection at a time and frequency to suit you and the amount of waste you have.

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Contact us today for a fast and free cardboard waste disposal quote

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What is 
cardboard waste?

Cardboard waste is simply any used items made from heavy duty, thick or multi-layered sheets of stiff paper. As the material is similar to paper, cardboard is ideal to recycle as it’s made of fibres previously processed from trees. In your business it can include parcels, storage, food boxes, and more.

Your commercial cardboard waste needs to be clean and dry. Recycling wet cardboard or dirty boxes is difficult, as it contaminates and weakens the fibres and material. Unfortunately, this means wet and dirty cardboard often ends up as general waste – going to landfill or being incinerated.

The types of cardboard waste you can recycle includes:

  • Corrugated cardboard – made from an inside and outside liner and ruffled fluting.
  • Paperboard – a thicker form of paper, used for juice and milk cartons.
  • Cardboard tubes – circular packaging often for posters and other items.
  • Parcels and packaging – online delivery boxes that protect their contents.
  • Storage boxes – great for moving home, office, or storing items.
  • Food packaging – cereal, egg, biscuit boxes, and more.

Who needs commercial 
cardboard waste collection?

All businesses use some level of cardboard within their daily and weekly operations. You may produce minimal waste from just the cereal, tea, and food boxes in the office kitchen, or require bulk cardboard recycling if you run a restaurant and generate a high volume of cardboard waste. Certain businesses have a greater need for cardboard collection, such as retailers, food catering, distributors, and wholesalers.

We have a range of free cardboard recycling bins available to meet the cardboard waste recycling requirements of your business – from cardboard office recycling bins to storage for retail packaging and more. Our nationwide coverage means we can provide and collect old cardboard across the whole of the UK, ensuring every business can arrange delivery of cardboard recycling bins near you.

Find cardboard recycling rebates
cardboard boxes of different sizes.
If you need waste cardboard collecting on a regular basis, we can provide free cardboard recycling bins near you and low-cost collection.

Recycling cardboard 
benefits and facts

Recycling one tonne of cardboard can save up to 17 trees. It avoids your business sending waste to landfill – saving 2.3 cubic metres of landfill space – and helping meet your environmental and ethical responsibilities. And because cardboard recycling doesn’t incur landfill tax, it can also save your business money.

More than 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard are used in the UK each year, with predictions this will rise mainly due to increasing numbers of online orders. Of this amount about 5.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard are used for packaging, of which 65.6% is recycled.

Sadly, this means around a third of all waste paper and cardboard is not recycled and ends up in landfill. Considering the environmental and financial benefits commercial cardboard recycling introduces – reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption – there’s more to be done.

Cardboard waste facts and stats

Read our reviews

Picture the scene, a hellhole of mess, card piled up the wazoo and nowhere to turn, we needed a solution and Business Waste was just that. We put out the tender for card collection and they came in under Biffa and Smurfit and sorted out a wheelie bin, collections were reliable and regular.
Lewis Gibson

Upon the stunning realisation that this might take longer than the half life of Bismuth to get rid of our backlog, they were quick to swap the bins for a bigger one so I could get through our piles faster.

One day though, disaster struck, the collection didn’t happen, nor the next, nor indeed the week after. The binmen were on strike. Egads did I cry, what are we do?

We need a hero and Morgan Britton was that hero, riding in like Arwen to defeat the Ringwraiths, she fought with tenacity, keeping on top of the depot, holding on like a kitten to a ball of wool, updating not only daily, but sometimes hourly, checking if they’d been and chasing the depot tirelessly. Soon, the dragon was defeated and our bin was emptied and she kindly arranged for a new collection day to avoid the strike problems.

Cardboard recycling
FAQs

  • CARDBOARD How do you recycle cardboard?

    There are a few steps for how to recycle cardboard:

    • Collection – waste cardboard is collected by licensed waste carriers and transported to a nearby recycling centre.
    • Sorting – the cardboard is sorted by grade and type before it’s recycled, as certain kinds of cardboard can only be converted into specific products.
    • Shredding – after being separated by type the cardboard is shredded into small pieces.
    • Pulping – these small pieces are soaked and mixed with water to soften them and turn the cardboard into a pulp.
    • Filtering – any remaining contaminants such as labels and tape are filtered out.
    • Mixing – further water is added for the right consistency. Chemicals might be included depending on the desired results.
    • Pressing – it’s then rolled and pressed to squeeze out all the water.
    • Cutting – after drying out the cardboard is cut into the desired size. It can be layered to form thicker cardboard and put in rolls for use as recycled cardboard.
  • CARDBOARD How do you get rid of a lot of cardboard?

    When you have a large amount of cardboard to recycle and are a domestic customer, you can take it to your local recycling centre. If you’re a business with a big volume of waste cardboard, you need to use a registered waste carrier – especially for bulk cardboard recycling.

    Talk to a specialised waste management company like Business Waste about your needs. One of our expert team can advise you on a range of cardboard collection, storage, legal and disposal options to help remove your large amount of cardboard waste, including baled cardboard rebates.

  • CARDBOARD What should I do before I recycle cardboard?

    The first thing you should do before you recycle cardboard is to make sure it’s all clean and dry. Remove any contaminated items and set to one side as these will not be recyclable. Next, remove any excess tape from the cardboard – it’s not necessary to remove all of this as the recycling process will deal with it.

    Flat pack cardboard as much as possible and store in a container that keeps it dry. If you have a large amount of cardboard, a Mill Size baler can help with storage – as can specific lidded containers and roll-off bins.

  • CARDBOARD Can you recycle Tetra Pak with cardboard?

    Tetra Paks are plastic coated cartons that commonly contain milk or juices. They’re made from 80% paper-based materials but also contain plastic and sometimes hidden metal. This means you can’t recycle them with normal single sheet or corrugated cardboard loads. However, we’re in partnership with a growing number of Tetra Pak recycling centres opening around the UK.

  • CARDBOARD Can you recycle a pizza box?

    Many pizza boxes have recycling symbols on them and are made of corrugated cardboard. In theory, this means you can recycle most pizza boxes. However, including cardboard that’s tainted with grease or food in your load will be seen as a contaminant and render the load useless. Make sure pizza boxes are clean and dry before including with your cardboard recycling.

  • CARDBOARD Can I mix cardboard and paper recycling?

    Generally, you can mix thin cardboard and paper for recycling as it’s made from similar fibres processed from trees. However, corrugated cardboard is usually recycled separately from paper due to its thicker and extra layers.

  • CARDBOARD Can I mix different grades of cardboard in a recycling load?

    Different grades of cardboard can be recycled together providing the whole load is clean and dry and not contaminated with food, grease, or chemicals. Some wax-coated cardboards are biodegradable but not recyclable.

  • CARDBOARD How much is cardboard worth in the UK?

    Only customers with regular volumes of waste cardboard measured in tonnes can potentially gain a rebate or warrant a free collection. Cardboard is a global market and prices experience large fluctuations. In 2022, cardboard recycling prices are between £105 and £125 per tonne.

    To sell your cardboard, you need to ensure your load is free from contaminants like food, liquid, grease, or Styrofoam-type packaging. One of the most cost-effective ways to store cardboard for recycling is in bales. This also ensures a maximum financial return, as the cardboard is already in the format required at the recycling plant. You require a mechanical baler to store cardboard this way.

    Learn more about cardboard rebates

  • CARDBOARD What can I do with commercial cardboard?

    Recycling commercial cardboard waste is the best thing you can do to save you money on disposal and landfill costs, while also helping the environment. Arrange collection and cardboard disposal by a registered waste carrier – ensuring you receive a duty of care certificate – for a safe, easy, and cost-effective way to get rid of your business’ cardboard waste.

  • CARDBOARD Can you burn cardboard?

    Burning waste is only a good alternative if it provides an efficient fuel. Burning cardboard does not and it will release contaminants and gases into the environment. Many local authorities have regulations surrounding smokeless fuels and cardboard burning falls short of these. Recycle your cardboard waste rather than burning it to avoid wasting a reusable resource.

  • CARDBOARD Are Amazon boxes recyclable?

    Yes, most Amazon boxes are made from cardboard, which means they’re easy to recycle. If you receive an Amazon delivery at home you can put the empty box in your domestic recycling bin, or at your workplace put it in your commercial cardboard recycling bin. Remove any tape and flatten them to save space.

  • CARDBOARD How long does cardboard take to decompose?

    Cardboard takes around two months to decompose when composted. How long carboard takes to decompose depends on the type and size of the sheets though, so sometimes it may take up to six or eighth months. Layering other compostable materials on top of the carboard and regularly turning it speeds up the process.

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  • Any type of cardboard waste disposal
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  • We cover all of the UK