Cardboard

Reduce

The alternative to cardboard boxes are wooden or plastic crates.  The advantage of 'crates' over cardboard boxes is the lifespan, you can reuse them more often.

Reuse

Here are a few suggestions on what else you can do with cardboard

• Cardboard boxes are a great toy for children and can be used to build forts
• Cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet rolls can be used to make puppets, dolls and other structures.  The can also be useful for keeping items such as tinsel and string tidy.
• Small boxes could be kept and reused as gift boxes or for packaging up parcels to be posted.
• Cereal boxes can be used to reinforce envelopes, make bookmarks or magazine holders.  They also make good templates for making your own envelopes.
• Large boxes can be used for animal bedding, mulching, composting or under bed storage.

Recycle

Cardboard boxes can be recycled.

How should I recycle it?

• Flatten the cardboard box
• If needed fold or cut up the cardboard box to fit into the recycle bin

Where do I recycle it?

• Local recycling service
• Recycle drop off centre - in the bin labelled cardboard

What happens to it?

The cardboard is transported to a plant in Invercargill where it is baled and transported to a recycling plant.  At the recycling plant the cardboard is shredded and water added to separate the cardboard into fibres or pulp.  The pulp is then pressed, dried and sized into new cardboard boxes.

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