Why Cardboard Quality Matters for Recycling

Cardboard is a superstar of recycling in New Zealand! Most of it can have a second life as something new, reducing waste to landfill and saving precious resources. But did you know the quality of the cardboard you put in your recycling bin matters? Contamination, especially from food and grease, can make entire batches of cardboard unusable.

Pizza boxes are a classic example. While cardboard itself is recyclable, the grease and food remnants from those delicious pizzas soak into the fibers, making the cardboard unsuitable for recycling. Even if you tear out the clean top, the bottom is usually too greasy. This contamination can spread to other clean cardboard in your bin, and even throughout the recycling process, potentially ruining a whole batch.

Close-up photo of a greasy pizza box in a recycling bin, with other clean cardboard around it. The grease stains are clearly visible, showing how contamination can occur. Emphasis on the texture and visual contrast between the clean and greasy cardboard.

Wet cardboard is another common culprit. When cardboard gets wet, it loses its structural integrity and becomes difficult to process. Think of a soggy cereal box – it falls apart easily, making it hard for recycling machinery to handle. Plus, damp cardboard can harbor mold and mildew, further contaminating other recyclables.

Photo of a wet, soggy cereal box in a recycling bin. The box is starting to disintegrate and shows signs of mold. The image should highlight the texture of the soggy cardboard and emphasize its unsuitability for recycling.

So, how can you ensure your cardboard is recycling-ready? Keep it clean and dry. Avoid putting greasy pizza boxes or heavily soiled cardboard in the recycling. Instead, compost food scraps and soiled paper, and put clean, dry cardboard in your recycling bin. By taking these simple steps, you can help ensure that more cardboard gets recycled and less ends up in landfills.