Cardboard & Paper Collection
Dedicated bins for cardboard boxes, office paper, and newspapers. Must be clean and dry—wet or food-stained cardboard goes in general waste. Separating cardboard typically costs half what general waste does.
Common for:
Retailers receiving stock in boxes, warehouses, e-commerce fulfilment centres, offices with high paper use. If you're breaking down more than a few boxes a day, a separate cardboard bin pays for itself.
What goes in cardboard recycling
Clean, dry cardboard and paper products. Cardboard boxes (flattened), office paper, newspapers, magazines, paper packaging, and paper bags. Small amounts of tape and staples are fine—they're removed during processing.
What can't go in: wet or food-stained cardboard (pizza boxes with grease, soggy boxes), waxed cardboard (some fruit boxes), paper with plastic coating (coffee cups), shredded paper in loose form (bag it first), or anything contaminated with food waste.
Flatten your boxes. A flattened box takes up roughly 10% of the space of an assembled one. This dramatically increases how much you can fit in each bin and may let you use a smaller size.
Which size for your business
Cardboard volume depends on how much stock you receive. A retail store breaking down 20-30 boxes a week typically fills a 660L bin. High-turnover retail or e-commerce fulfilment centres often need front-lift containers. Offices primarily generate paper—a 240L bin usually suffices unless you're doing major clean-outs.
Available Bin Sizes
Wheelie Bins
240L Wheelie Bin
From $16/weekStandard bin for offices and small retail. Suits businesses with moderate paper and light cardboard.
Configure
660L Wheelie Bin
From $42/weekPopular for retail stores receiving regular deliveries. Most common cardboard bin size.
ConfigureFront-Lift Containers
1.5m³ Front-Lift
From $90/weekFor warehouses and distribution. Handles serious cardboard volume.
Configure3.0m³ Front-Lift
From $155/weekHigh-volume cardboard recycling. Common for large retail, e-commerce fulfilment.
Configure4.5m³ Front-Lift
From $200/weekMaximum cardboard capacity. For major distribution centres and manufacturers.
ConfigureCardboard Recycling by Industry
Retail Stores & Boutiques
Retail cardboard volumes correlate directly with delivery frequency and product packaging. Fashion and homewares retailers typically receive 10-30 boxes per delivery, multiple times weekly. Break down boxes immediately upon unpacking stock—flattened boxes use 90% less space than assembled ones. Position your cardboard bin in the stockroom near where deliveries are unpacked. A 660L bin suits most retail stores receiving daily or alternate-day deliveries. Smaller boutiques with weekly deliveries often manage with 240L. Peak periods (pre-Christmas, sale stock arrivals) may require temporary bin size increases. Train staff to remove packing materials (plastic tape is fine, but remove excessive bubble wrap or foam inserts) and flatten boxes before binning. Customer-facing packaging (shopping bags, tissue paper) is often recyclable if clean—keep separate from contaminated general waste.
Warehouses & Distribution Centers
Warehouses are among the highest cardboard generators in commercial sectors. A distribution center processing 100+ orders daily can fill a 3m³ front-lift container weekly. Cardboard arrives with incoming stock and departs with outgoing shipments—both create recycling opportunities. Establish collection points at receiving docks (incoming cardboard) and packing stations (used boxes, rejected stock boxes). Many warehouses benefit from multiple cardboard bins positioned strategically rather than one central bin. Consider a baler for high volumes—if you're filling a 3m³ bin twice weekly or more, baling cardboard for direct sale to recyclers often proves more economical. Contamination control is critical: keep cardboard bins away from areas handling food products, chemicals, or materials that could contaminate the stream.
E-Commerce & Fulfillment Operations
E-commerce operations generate cardboard on both ends: receiving stock in bulk packaging and dispatching in individual boxes. High-volume operations (50+ orders daily) typically need front-lift containers (1.5m³ or larger). Optimize your cardboard recycling by maintaining a clean stream—remove all plastic packaging, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts before adding cardboard to bins. Some fulfillment centers implement box reuse programs: inspect incoming boxes and reuse suitable ones for outgoing shipments. This reduces both cardboard waste and packaging costs. Position cardboard bins at unpacking stations and near packing benches. Monitor volumes during peak periods (Black Friday, Christmas, end-of-financial-year sales) and arrange temporary bin upgrades to prevent overflow.
Corporate Offices
Office paper recycling is straightforward but often poorly executed. Typical offices generate 5-10kg of paper per employee annually, plus cardboard from supply deliveries and mail. A 240L paper recycling bin serves approximately 30-40 employees with weekly collection. Position bins strategically: near printers (misprints, outdated documents), in mail rooms (envelopes, packaging), and at communal areas. Educate staff that shredded paper is recyclable but must be bagged—loose shredded paper clogs sorting machinery. Window envelopes are fine (the plastic window is removed during processing). Staples and paperclips don't need removal. Contamination issues: food-stained paper (used napkins, pizza boxes), plastic-coated paper (some receipts), and waxed cardboard (some produce boxes) don't belong in paper recycling. Going paperless reduces waste but most offices still generate enough to warrant a dedicated paper bin.
Maximizing Cardboard Recycling Efficiency
Flatten every box immediately upon unpacking. An unflattened box occupies 10 times the space of a flattened one. This single practice can reduce your bin size requirements by 50-70%, directly lowering your waste costs. Make it policy: no box enters the cardboard bin unless flattened.
Remove major contaminants but don't obsess over tape and staples. Cardboard recycling facilities are designed to handle small amounts of tape, staples, and labels—these are removed during the pulping process. However, remove excessive amounts of plastic wrap, bubble wrap, foam inserts, and packing peanuts. These contaminate the recycling stream and add unnecessary volume to your bin.
Keep cardboard dry. Wet cardboard cannot be recycled—the fibers break down and contaminate the batch. If cardboard gets wet (rain, spills), it must go in general waste. Store cardboard bins undercover or use bins with lids. This is especially important in outdoor areas and during wet weather.
Train staff on cardboard versus general waste. Food-stained cardboard (pizza boxes with grease, wet boxes, cardboard contaminated with food residue) cannot be recycled and must go in general waste. Waxed cardboard (some fruit and vegetable boxes) is also non-recyclable. When in doubt, the sniff test helps: if it smells like food, it's contaminated.
Optimize bin placement for maximum compliance. Position cardboard bins exactly where cardboard is generated—at receiving docks, in stock rooms, near unpacking areas. If staff need to walk more than 5 meters to dispose of cardboard, compliance drops significantly and cardboard ends up in general waste bins.
Consider seasonal fluctuations. Retail businesses see cardboard peaks during stock intake for sales periods. Distribution centers experience volume spikes during holiday shipping periods. Hospitality venues using cardboard for deliveries may see increases during event seasons. Schedule temporary bin size increases during known peak periods rather than overflowing bins or paying excess waste fees.
For high-volume generators, investigate direct recycling arrangements. If you're filling a 3m³ bin twice weekly or more, you may benefit from a cardboard baler and direct sale to recyclers. Baled cardboard has commodity value—recyclers may collect for free or even pay you. The equipment investment is typically recovered within 1-2 years for high-volume sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put pizza boxes in cardboard recycling?
Only if they're clean and grease-free. A pizza box with no grease stains or food residue is recyclable cardboard. However, boxes with grease stains, melted cheese, or food contamination must go in general waste—the food oils contaminate the recycling process and can spoil entire batches of cardboard. Best practice: tear off clean parts (often the lid) for cardboard recycling and put greasy parts (usually the base) in general waste. For businesses generating many pizza boxes (food courts, delivery venues), consider switching to compostable packaging if you have organics collection—this diverts waste from expensive general waste streams.
Does cardboard need to be completely free of tape and staples?
No—small amounts of tape, staples, labels, and stickers are fine and don't need removal. Cardboard recycling facilities use screening and pulping processes that remove these materials. The cardboard is shredded, mixed with water, and pulped—during this process, tape and staples separate from the cardboard fibers and are filtered out. However, do remove excessive amounts of plastic wrap, bubble wrap, foam inserts, and large quantities of packing materials. These can contaminate the recycling stream and take up valuable bin space. Focus on flattening boxes rather than removing every small piece of tape—that's a more productive use of time.
Can shredded paper go in cardboard recycling bins?
Yes, but it must be bagged. Shredded paper is recyclable, but loose shredded paper clogs sorting machinery at recycling facilities and can blow around during collection and transport. Place shredded paper in paper or compostable bags before adding to your cardboard bin. Most recycling facilities can process shredded paper despite the shortened fibers (shredding reduces fiber length, slightly lowering the recycled product quality, but it's still recyclable). Very high-security shredding that produces confetti-like particles may be too fine—check with your waste provider. Alternative: some offices use shredded paper as packing material for outgoing shipments, giving it a second use before recycling.
Why is my cardboard bin always full before collection day?
You're either not flattening boxes properly, your bin is too small for your cardboard volume, or your collection frequency is insufficient. First, audit your bin: are boxes flattened completely? An unflattened box uses 10x more space. Second, calculate your actual cardboard generation: count incoming deliveries for a week and estimate box volumes. Compare this to your bin capacity. If you're consistently over 80% full before collection, you need either a larger bin or more frequent collections. Third, consider whether contamination is the issue—if general waste or other materials are going in your cardboard bin, they consume capacity meant for cardboard. Finally, check for seasonal factors: retail and distribution businesses often need bin size increases during peak periods rather than year-round larger bins.
What's the difference between cardboard recycling and general mixed recycling?
Cardboard recycling (often a yellow-lid bin) accepts only clean, dry cardboard and paper products. Mixed recycling or commingled recycling (typically blue or yellow lid) accepts cardboard plus other recyclables: plastics, glass, metals, containers. Separating cardboard into a dedicated stream provides several benefits: higher recycling quality (pure cardboard batches command better prices and recycling rates), reduced contamination (cardboard doesn't get soiled by liquids from bottles or cans), and easier logistics (high-cardboard businesses can optimize dedicated cardboard collection schedules). For businesses generating significant cardboard volumes—retail, warehouses, distribution—a dedicated cardboard bin is standard. For offices with light cardboard but mixed recyclables (bottles, cans, paper), commingled recycling may be more practical. Some businesses use both: cardboard bins for bulk packaging and commingled bins for break room recyclables.
Can I put waxed cardboard or coated cardboard in recycling?
Generally no—waxed or plastic-coated cardboard is not recyclable in standard cardboard recycling streams. Waxed cardboard (common in produce boxes, some frozen food packaging, and specialty shipping containers) has a wax coating that repels water, making it unsuitable for paper pulping processes. Similarly, plastic-coated cardboard (some coffee cups, frozen food boxes, specialty packaging) cannot be recycled as cardboard because the plastic coating must be separated first—a process not available at standard recycling facilities. These items go in general waste. How to identify: waxed cardboard feels waxy or slippery and often appears slightly shiny. If you scratch it, wax may flake off. When wet, it repels water rather than absorbing it. For businesses receiving large quantities (produce wholesalers, cold storage), work with suppliers to switch to recyclable alternatives or arrange specialist recycling if available in your region.
How much can I save by separating cardboard from general waste?
Separating cardboard typically saves 40-60% on disposal costs for that waste stream compared to general waste. Specific savings depend on your location and waste provider, but general waste incurs landfill levies ($140-180 per tonne in most Australian metros), while cardboard recycling avoids these levies and costs $60-100 per tonne to process. For a business generating 500kg of cardboard monthly, this translates to approximately $40-80 monthly savings, or $480-960 annually. Additional savings come from smaller general waste bins—if cardboard represents 30-40% of your waste, separating it can downsize your general waste bin from 660L to 240L, saving $15-30 weekly in collection fees. Over a year, total savings (disposal costs plus smaller general waste bin) often reach $1,000-2,000 for typical retail or office businesses. High-volume cardboard generators (warehouses, distribution) save significantly more.
Should I separate brown cardboard from white paper?
For standard commercial recycling, no—brown cardboard (corrugated boxes) and white paper (office paper, documents) can go in the same recycling bin. Recycling facilities sort mixed paper and cardboard by grade during processing. However, there are exceptions: some specialized recycling programs or high-volume generators may benefit from separation. White office paper has longer, higher-quality fibers than brown cardboard and can be recycled into higher-grade paper products, commanding better prices from recyclers. If your business generates large volumes of both (a corporate office with significant paper plus regular cardboard deliveries), some waste providers offer separate collection for better recycling outcomes and potential cost savings. For most businesses, the operational complexity of separating paper and cardboard outweighs the minimal benefit—a single well-managed cardboard and paper bin is more practical and ensures higher compliance from staff.
Need help choosing?
If you're not sure which size suits your business, contact us. We can advise based on your industry, staff numbers, and waste patterns.
Contact us