How Is Cardboard Recycled?

Commercial cardboard is widely recycled in the UK. Businesses should keep cardboard clean and dry so it can be collected or baled before collection for some high-volume producers.

If the cardboard comes from a dedicated cardboard collection, it may go straight to a paper merchant or mill. If it’s collected alongside other recyclables, it is often sent to a materials recovery facility where it’s sorted by grade, contaminants are removed, and it is baled for onward transport.

While some collected cardboard is processed domestically, the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) say more than half of paper collected for recycling in the UK is reprocessed overseas.

Contamination is a key factor in cardboard recycling. Commercial cardboard should be dry and free from food, grease, liquids and other waste, which may reduce fibre quality. Plastic film, wax coatings, tape and mixed-material packaging can also affect whether a mill can process it.

Clean parts of select packaging may still be recyclable even if contaminated sections are not. Acceptance usually depends on the collector and mill specification.

Fibre quality is also a determining factor, as paper fibres shorten and weaken each time they’re recycled. CPI estimate that fibres can be recycled approximately seven times. Therefore, virgin fibre is still needed to maintain paper and cardboard production.

Simpler Recycling workplace rules have applied to most workplaces in England since March 31st, 2025. Businesses with under 10 full-time equivalent employees (FTE) have until March 31st, 2027. Organisations in scope must separate paper and card from their general waste.

Waste collectors must generally collect paper and card separately from plastic, metal and glass unless co-collection is justified as technically or economically impracticable. Not every business needs a standalone cardboard bin, but the setup will depend on the collection arrangement with the waste provider.

Wales and Scotland already have their own workplace recycling separation rules, while Northern Ireland follows its own waste legislation, so businesses operating across the UK should check the requirements for each nation.