Want to start recycling and unsure where to start? Plastic can come in a wide variety of numbers, and there’s always a question of what to do with a recyclable material if it has food or chemical waste on it. Can you wash it and recycle it or is the whole thing ruined? But there’s one thing that’s fairly easy. Americans receive about 21 delivery parcels each year, often coming in cardboard boxes. Once the tape is torn off and the goodies are put in their proper place, you have a cardboard box that’s perfect for the recycling bin. Here are a few reasons to recycle more cardboard this year and in years to come:
Reduce Pollution
Cardboard is often made with pulp from pine trees, which can create a toxic gas called sulfur dioxide. When cardboard is dumped in a landfill and left to degrade, it releases this gas into the air, which can cause pollution when it reaches the air…or the soil below the landfill. Sulfur dioxide pollution from cardboard can potentially contribute to acid rain. By recycling cardboard, you’re helping to lessen the impact of cardboard on the environment and lessen both air and soil pollution.
Shrink Landfills
There’s no question to anyone who’s looked into recycling — landfills are a problem. They’ve grown massive and many of the materials there either don’t biodegrade or release toxic gases, as we started above. Many landfills are made up in significant part of cardboard. In fact, recycling one ton of cardboard in one year saves about 9 cubit yards in landfills. Of course, it’s unlikely that one household will recycle so much cardboard in one year. But if you recycle what cardboard you can and encourage others at work or in your social life to do the same, you’ll be doing your part to shrink landfills.
Saves Space In Your Home
Sometimes homeowners will keep cardboard boxes in their homes, saving them for an occasion when they might move or might need to wrap a present. There is merit in keeping a few cardboard boxes handy, but after a time, they can take up valuable storage space. Still, it would be wasteful to throw them away — which is why it can help to recycle them. Those cardboard boxes will continue to be useful elsewhere, and you’ll have more room in your home.
As we move further into January and you begin to start making changes to your daily life, consider where you could recycle cardboard more often. Have any questions about cardboard recycling or interested in getting started? Brazos Valley Trash Valet & Recycling offers complimentary recycling bins along with our trash pick-up subscription. We use single stream recycling, so we’re able to accept more recycling materials than ever. Contact us today to learn more or to sign up for your own trash and recycling services for just $21.95/mo.
