What is Recycled Cardboard

♻️  A Guide to How Our Recycled Cardboard Products are Made

While often overlooked in daily lives, the efficacy of the cardboard and paper-based packaging recycling system is a crucial component of the circular economy, boasting one of the highest recycling rates in the UK.

Understanding the recycling process is essential for companies like ourselves meeting high standards of corporate sustainability and adhering to regulatory compliance.

The Six Phases of Corrugated Fibre Recovery

Cardboard recycling is a six-step, resource-intensive process encompassing 

1, collection.

2.Sorting, 

3.Shredding/pulping.

4. Filtering (De-Inking). 

5. Finishing.

6. Conversion into new corrugated board. 

(More details below).

The Environmental Good Bits

Recycling cardboard is a huge success story in the UK (along with Aluminium) as over 70% of cardboard in the UK is currently recycled, and the material can be effectively recycled more than 20 times before fibre degradation renders it unusable ( when is why over time small amounts of Virgin ( new) material is added.

Phase-by-Phase Recycling Process Breakdown

Step 1: Collection

This foundational stage involves the efficient aggregation of used corrugated material. Collection occurs via consumers' kerbside schemes or through established industrial waste management agreements with high-volume producers. The material is then volumetrically measured and transported to dedicated recycling facilities, typically integrated within paper mills, ensuring proximity and optimized logistics.

Step 2: Sorting and Segregation

Crucial for material purity and end-product quality, this stage separates mixed paper streams.

Contaminant Separation: Cardboard that is coated or waxed (e.g., for direct food contact) is segregated for a specialized, often chemical, pulping process.

Material Grading: The remaining fibres are separated into corrugated cardboard (fluted structure) and boxboard (thinner, non-fluted material like cereal boxes). This initial grading is vital as it dictates the specific material grade that paper mills will manufacture, influencing the properties of the final product.

Step 3: Mechanical and Chemical Fibre Separation (Shredding and Pulping)

The sorted material is first mechanically reduced (shredded) and then introduced into a large vat. Here, water and chemical agents are applied to break the hydrogen bonds between the cellulose fibres, turning the material into a slurry known as pulp. This pulp is often strategically blended with a percentage of virgin fibre (sourced from wood chips) to regulate the strength and solidification properties of the new material, ensuring consistent quality and structural integrity.

Step 4: Decontamination and De-inking (Filtering)

The pulp stream is passed through a series of filters to eliminate gross contaminants such as adhesive tape and glue residues. A subsequent centrifuge process is employed to remove heavier contaminants like metal staples (which sink) and lighter ones like plastics (which float). This is followed by a critical de-inking process, where chemical agents lift and separate the printing inks from the fibres, effectively purifying the pulp for the final manufacturing stage. The cleaned pulp can then be stored wet for later use.

Step 5: Finishing and Web Formation

The refined pulp is evenly spread onto a flat conveyor belt and dewatered, initially by gravity and subsequently by being pressed between rollers. Heat is then applied via cylindrical drying surfaces. This process transforms the wet fibres into a continuous, solid sheet (the "web"). Depending on the required thickness, multiple layers can be added. This stage ultimately produces large reels of recycled brown paper, measured in tonnes, ready for the final conversion.

Step 6: Corrugated Board Conversion

The large paper reels are utilized as the outer liners or the inner fluting medium (the wavy layer) for the new corrugated structure. This material is then fed into an industrial corrugator, which combines the layers and forms the new corrugated board, sold directly to packaging manufacturers or converters.

Environmental and Resource Management Benefits

The systemic use of recycled cardboard delivers quantifiable environmental advantages:

Energy Efficiency: Manufacturing with recycled cardboard yields an estimated 25% to 50% energy saving compared to using virgin material.

Virgin Material Reduction: Recycled processes significantly reduce the reliance on virgin timber, saving 70% to 100% of new material inputs (allowing for necessary virgin top-up).

Water Conservation: Processing recycled fibre can reduce water consumption by up to 99%.

Emission Reduction: Utilizing domestically recycled material in the UK lowers the carbon footprint associated with importing raw materials from overseas forestry operations.

Virgin vs. Recycled Fibres: A Nuanced Comparison

Virgin Fibres are chemically extracted pulp from wood, often sourced from sustainably managed, renewable forests. While forests are a net oxygen producer, the major drawback is the higher requirement for process water treatment.

Recycled Fibres are derived from post-consumer or post-industrial recovered paper and packaging. While they are crucial for closing the loop and reducing landfill volume, processing recycled fibre paradoxically requires more fossil energy than processing virgin fibre. Furthermore, virgin fibre input is necessary to maintain fibre length and quality, as recycled fibres degrade after approximately 20 cycles.

Key Takeaway: A balanced, hybrid approach—where recycled fibres reduce landfill and utilize existing material, and virgin fibres provide structural integrity and come from sustainable sources—is generally the most robust environmental strategy.

Limitations and Sustainable Alternatives

It is crucial to recognize that easily recyclable cardboard is not always the most sustainable choice in every application:

Closed-Loop Logistics: For high-volume internal supply chains, reusable plastic totes (e.g., those made from Correx®) often offer a lower total material and energy footprint over their long lifespan compared to single-trip cardboard.

Product Protection: For high-value or fragile goods, packaging failure results in the environmental cost of damaged products (landfill, replacement manufacturing energy, and additional transport). Ensuring packaging robustness outweighs simple recyclability here.

Contamination Risk: Cardboard is unsuitable for oily or highly moist products. Heavy food contamination (e.g., greasy pizza boxes) renders the material unrecyclable, contributing to food and packaging waste in landfills.

Business Case for Recycled Packaging

Beyond ecological stewardship, leveraging recycled and recyclable packaging offers tangible business advantages:

Carbon Footprint Reduction: Directly lowers Scope 3 (purchased goods) emissions for the organization.

Enhanced Consumer Perception: Improves brand loyalty and market positioning among environmentally conscious demographics.

Compliance: Facilitates compliance with government targets and regulations, such as the UK's Packaging Waste Regulations (PPRN/PRN system).

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