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How to Recycle Cardboard
Corrugated cardboard boxes and packaging materials - one of the highest-performing recyclables in the US, at a 69-74% recycling rate in 2024 (AF&PA), above paper's 60-64% overall rate.
Check local acceptanceLast reviewed July 30, 2026
Quick answer
Yes, clean corrugated cardboard is one of the highest-performing recyclables in the US - a 69-74% recycling rate in 2024, well above paper's 60-64% overall rate (American Forest & Paper Association). Flatten boxes, remove tape and plastic packaging, and keep them dry, then use curbside recycling or take large loads to a recycling center. Pizza boxes count too: typical grease doesn't stop a mill from processing them, only a fully soaked, saturated box needs to be trashed or composted. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
How to Prepare
- 1Remove tape, staples, plastic packaging, and shipping labels where you can - small amounts get screened out during pulping, but large amounts of tape or foam should still come out
- 2Cut or tear large boxes into pieces smaller than 3x3 feet
- 3Flatten boxes completely to save space and improve sorting
- 4Remove wax coating, plastic lining, and any food waste stuck to the box
- 5Keep dry - a little dampness is fine, but soaked or moldy cardboard can't be recycled
- 6Separate corrugated cardboard from paperboard (cereal boxes) if your program asks for it
- 7For pizza boxes: empty them and tear off any heavily grease-soaked or cheese-caked sections
Where to Recycle
- Curbside recycling
- Recycling centers
- Retail store collection bins
- Business pickup services
Special Instructions
A pizza box with typical grease and cheese residue is fine to recycle - an industry study cited by AF&PA found normal amounts don't interfere with pulping. Only a box that's fully soaked and saturated with grease needs to go in the trash or compost, not a whole box over one greasy corner. Waxed cardboard, like most produce boxes, still isn't accepted and goes in regular trash.
Environmental Impact
Corrugated cardboard recycled at a 69-74% rate in the US in 2024, per the American Forest & Paper Association - more than 33 million tons, or about 90,000 tons a day. Recycling it uses about 24% less energy than making new cardboard from trees; one ton saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space. It can be recycled 5-7 times before the fibers get too short to reuse.
Sustainable Alternatives
- Reuse for storage or moving
- Donate to people moving
- Use for craft projects
- Composting (if uncoated)
- Donate to schools for art projects
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Shipping and delivery boxes (clean, flattened)
- Amazon and delivery boxes
- Cereal and food boxes (paperboard)
- Shoe boxes
- Pizza boxes with typical grease spots
- Cardboard egg cartons
Not Accepted
- Wax-coated cardboard (produce boxes)
- Wet or moldy cardboard
- Plastic-lined cardboard
- Cardboard with food waste stuck to it
- Pizza boxes fully soaked and saturated with grease
- Cardboard with large amounts of tape or glue
FAQs
Do I need to remove all the tape from cardboard boxes?
Pull off large amounts of tape, staples, and shipping labels first. Tape wraps around screens and rollers at the sorting facility, and the plastic film survives pulping, so it ends up as specks in the finished paper. Small amounts left behind get screened out.
Can I recycle pizza boxes?
Yes, and you don't need to be as strict about grease as you might think. An industry study found typical amounts of grease and cheese on a pizza box don't interfere with the pulping process. Only trash or compost the box if it's fully soaked and saturated with grease, not just spotted.
What is the actual cardboard recycling rate in the US?
69-74% in 2024, according to the American Forest & Paper Association - higher than paper's overall 60-64% rate. It's reported as a range because of how the rate is calculated: recycled cardboard compared to cardboard available for recovery, which carries some uncertainty. That still makes cardboard one of the highest-performing recyclables by weight.
What's the difference between cardboard and paperboard?
Corrugated cardboard has a wavy layer between two flat sheets, like shipping boxes. Paperboard is a single, denser layer, like cereal boxes. Both are recyclable, but some programs ask you to keep them separate.
Can I recycle cardboard if it gets wet?
A little dampness generally isn't a problem, but cardboard that's soaked through or moldy can't be recycled - the water breaks down the fibers and can contaminate other paper in the load. Let damp cardboard dry out before recycling it, or trash it if it's moldy.
Related recycling guides
- How to recycle Corrugated Cardboard Boxes
- How to recycle Food-Soiled Paper & Cardboard
- How to recycle Paperboard
- How to recycle Paper Towels & Napkins
- How to recycle Newspapers
- How to recycle Thermal Receipts
- How to recycle Office Paper
- How to recycle Magazines
- How to recycle Shredded Paper
- How to recycle Phone Books
Recycle cardboard
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