Most, if not all, of the products that we use today have come to us in some form of a cardboard box. Whether it’s something that we ordered online or some business supplies, they are all packaged in similar materials to keep them safe during transportation. But regardless if you are a small business or a corporation, it’s important to think of cardboard recycling in Melbourne. How does recycling cardboard help the environment?
1. Conserve the Environment
Cardboard is technically a paper product. Paper comes from trees, so by recycling such boxes in your facility, you’re helping to reduce the need to cut down more trees. That would be good for the biodiversity efforts that governments and even some private organisations still have in place. After all, recycled cardboard could turn into new paper products or even new cardboard products.
2. Reduce Landfill Waste
Although cardboard is made from natural resources, the decomposition process makes the materials release methane into the air. Methane is a known greenhouse gas that could contribute to climate change, so it would not be good for the environment.
The problem is avoidable if we recycle cardboard. However, the opposite is true if we let such packages end up in landfills. They would do nothing but contribute to the overflowing amount of trash and allow it to slowly decompose.
3. Save Energy
In conjunction with environmental conservation, recycling cardboard would also help manufacturers reduce their energy consumption. If you think about it, the process of turning wood fibre into paper products takes longer than breaking down paper fibre and turning it into a new product. By focusing on recycling instead, manufacturing companies could effectively reduce their carbon emissions.
4. Reduce Pollution
The recycling process makes use of water and other non-harmful chemicals to break down cardboard boxes into pulp. Some eco-friendly or small facilities may even try to do everything without a machine. Because of that, it won’t produce high amounts of pollutants.
This proves a stark difference to when you’re making paper products from scratch. Manufacturers tend to use bleach to make new cardboard if they use wood fibres to homogenise their colours. But they no longer need to worry about that when they make recycled ones.
5. Help the Economy
Recycling is also beneficial for the economy. For one, it can reduce the waste disposal cost of businesses as they are sending their discarded cardboard boxes to recycling facilities. While it may not be 100% free, it may not be as expensive as using other means to dispose of them.
In return, recycling also ensures that people working in the facilities can keep their jobs. The more working people there are in the community, the better it is for the economy.
Then, the newly recycled cardboard can be sold to the businesses again, and the cycle continues.
6. Promote Sustainability
Sustainability, like anything else, tends to grow through word of mouth. In case your business is the first one to recycle cardboard in your community, the others would likely follow suit once they get wind of that. That is especially true when you keep doing it and encourage people to do the same. Thanks to your efforts, you have now helped foster a more environmentally conscious society.
7. Use Materials Efficiently
One of the best things about paper products like cardboard is that it is not a one-time use. What we have not talked about is that this material could be recycled over and over again. It means that the more we recycle the same products, the fewer materials we will need to harvest. That’s a win-win situation for everyone.
How to Recycle Cardboard
1. Reuse at Work
Considering you always use cardboard at your workplace for various reasons, the first thing you could do is keep reusing it. If you need to move items, use the boxes you have instead of buying new ones. These are also great for storage purposes. Doing so would allow you to recycle the materials on your own.
2. Clean Cardboards
If you no longer have a use for this cardboard and want to dispose of it, you should clean it up before you call anyone. Spend some time removing any label, tape, or any wrapper attached to the material. If the boxes have gotten wet with the rain, dry them out for a few days. Then, once everything is ready, you could start flattening each box for easy transportation.
3. Segregate Cardboard Types
Another thing you could do if you have more than one type of cardboard is to separate them into different piles. The reason is that not all cardboard could go to the same place. The corrugated types, for example, directly go to a recycling centre. But if you have waxed cardboard or others, not all facilities have the means to cater to them.
4. Coordinate with Local Council
Now, you could call your local waste management office to discuss the best way to dispose of your cardboard boxes. Assuming you have a normal amount of boxes and they would fit into the curbside recycling bin, they might simply allow you to put everything in there, and then they’ll pick the bin up.
5. Use Recycling Programs
In case you don’t want to go through the local council and want a more consistent partnership with a recycling company, you could call one and see what recycling programs they could offer you. Many of them offer commercial pickups for however many times you need throughout the week. They could help you ensure that your place remains clean and that the cardboard will not be subjected to environmental contaminants.
Final Thoughts
Recycling cardboard is a fairly new concept, but we are happy to see that more and more businesses are doing it. If we all keep working towards a cleaner environment, we will see a positive change in the world.
Should you need more help with recycling cardboard in Melbourne, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’ll reach out to you.
