Cardboard recycling, simple yet very effective
Cardboard recycling is probably one of the more vital areas of the recycling industry due to the fact worldwide we produce millions upon millions of tonnes of cardboard a year, the majority of which is used in packaging everyday goods. When you consider the UK alone produces over 8,000,000 tonnes of cardboard each and every year, used primarily in packaging, this amounts to well over 100 large cardboard boxes per person in the UK a year.
However, while cardboard is not the easiest of materials to recycle it is one which is very prominent in each and every landfill sites you will ever visit. The recycling process itself is fairly simple with the cardboard soaked and stirred to release cellulose fibres which can then be pulped and used again. However, it may take five washing and stirring processes to break down these cellulose fibres into small enough elements to pulp and ultimately reuse.
The good news is that due to consumer pressure and consumer demand, we have seen a significant reduction in the amount of cardboard used in packaging everyday goods and the level continues to fall. While there are many recyclable products which catch the headlines it is the likes of cardboard, of which millions of tons are produced a year, which is cluttering up various landfill sites around the world.
Written in association with cardboard recycling experts.
