Why Proper Cardboard Junk Removal Is Key to a Circular Economy

Cardboard junk should not end up in landfill. Proper cardboard junk removal can help us move much closer to a circular economy. In particular, cardboard recycling is an important part of the puzzle that can help us tackle the problems of packaging, and avoid single use plastics. 

In nature, things are cyclical – there are many circular systems that govern the order of things. There is the carbon cycle, the water cycle, the cycle of life, death, decay and new life… there is an endless return, with a harmonious balance that sees excess channelled back into the system. 

Human society, however, has become removed from natural cycles. The developed world has become stuck in an unnatural pattern where we extract, consume and produce mountains of waste. Things have to change. Many of our world’s resources are finite and the environment cannot sustain this extractive and wasteful mindset. 

The circular economic model is the response to this situation and the myriad problems it has caused. Proper cardboard junk removal can play a role in helping us to create less wasteful and more mindful systems. 

What is a Circular Economy?

When we talk about a circular economic model, we are talking about a system where the supply chain and waste stream are not at opposite ends of a straight line, but in a loop. What comes out at the end of the system (the things we throw away) are funnelled straight back to the beginning, and used as raw materials to start the process again. 

This is a zero waste model where, ideally, there is no waste at all. We do not continue to take, take, take, but instead live within the bounds set by limits to resources. This both prevents runaway consumption, and eliminates the massive waste problem currently facing our world.

A circular economic model is fairer for people, and for the natural world around us. It is also a necessity for humanity’s persistence on this planet we call home. 

The great thing is – it also makes fantastic financial sense – helping companies develop more resilient and cost-effective systems and solving supply chain and waste issues once and for all. After all, under this model, the ‘waste’ at the end of the system and raw materials required at the beginning will often be one and the same. 

The Role of Cardboard in this Model

Cardboard really comes to the fore in a circular economic model as a material for packaging. Packaging for a range of products has long been one of the challenges in creating truly circular systems and we still have a long way to go to eliminate non-recycled and non-recyclable, single use plastic packaging and the like from supply chains. 

With its great potential for both reuse and recycling, and even composting, cardboard is a material that can give us the 100% recycled and recyclable packaging we are looking for. It is an extremely useful material that can really help us a lot in our attempts to reduce waste to nil. 

So why are we still sending this very useful material to landfill sites, where it decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas?

Proper cardboard junk removal ensures that we do not, and that cardboard plays the role it should rightfully play in a circular economy – packaging for goods that can themselves be reused or returned to the manufacturer at the end of their useful lives. 

Cardboard Recycling

Coming up with an estimate for how much cardboard is actually recycled in the US has proven quite challenging, with different competing methodologies coming up with rather different percentages. However, since the figures are certainly not close to 100%, we need to do a lot more to create truly circular systems. 

Can All Cardboard Be Recycled?

Not all cardboard can be recycled (we cannot recycle cardboard that is greasy or wet, for example), and the coated or waxed cardboards typically used in food packaging can only be recycled through specialist systems. 

But there is a lot of cardboard that can be recycled relatively easily, and with comparatively little energy when compared to some other forms of recycling.

Is Cardboard Infinitely Recyclable?

Through municipal systems, cardboard is not infinitely recyclable, but it can be recycled multiple times. Usually, cardboard can be recycled between 5-7 times on average before the fibers become too short and the material begins to break down and can no longer be used for packaging. 

This is why proper cardboard recycling is only part of the picture, and for a circular economic model we also need to consider improving how new cardboard is made, and invest in truly sustainable forestry. 

Recycling cardboard to make more sustainable packaging, however, can be a massive step in the right direction – towards a truly circular economy. 

Downcycling

The other good news is that cardboard that can no longer be recycled to make typical packaging can be ‘downcycled’ to make napkins or paper towels, egg cartons, or insulation, which can then usually be home composted at the end of their useful life. 

Composting Cardboard at Home

We can all play a role in circular systems by home composting. Thin, smaller pieces of cardboard can be added to a home composting system as long as it is untreated and uncoated. Rip it into little bits and it can be added alongside vegetable scraps and other organic waste.

Unlike in landfill, in a proper aerated compost heap or bin, cardboard breaks down in the presence of oxygen. The compost that is made with untreated cardboard can then be used on a garden, or to grow food, or even to nurture saplings that will become trees in sustainable forestry – taking us right back to the beginning of the cardboard cycle. 

Managing waste at home through things like home composting is, like reuse and recycling, another part of the puzzle when it comes to creating truly waste free, cyclical systems. 

How to Ensure Proper Cardboard Junk Removal

• Consult experts who can properly sort and direct cardboard junk to the right places.

• Prioritize reuse – using cardboard as a base for new raised beds or mulched areas in your garden for example…

• Or donate quality cardboard boxes to those who can use them, be that people moving home, charities or community groups. 

• Recycle cardboard carefully – separating waxed or coated cardboard for special recycling. Avoid contaminating cardboard recycling loads with wet or greasy material. 

• Compost suitable cardboard at home in your garden, or in a kitchen composter, if possible. 

Remember, proper cardboard junk removal can help us move much closer to a circular economy, and efforts both inside and outside our homes and businesses can make a big difference to repairing broken and damaging systems and putting something better in their place.