why can't you recycle paperboard?

Question

Out of all the counties I know about that have a curbside recycling program, none of them will accept paperboard. It is the stuff that most food products are packaged in... non corregated cardboard. It seems like if they can recycle paper and cardboard, then why not paperboard?? They also do not accept paper like junk mail or printer paper. Why??

Someone who actually knows what they are talking about, please... don't guess.

Answer 1

economics.



the process to strip the coating from most food packaging is too expensive for most cities that offer curbside recycling to consider or at least that is what they have been told by the recyclers companies the use.



this is the same reason most -if not all - metals are not welcome in your curbside bin.



most junk mail and computer paper are also chemically treated and the bleaching process is more than the for-profit recyclers want to let cut into their profits.



you can, however, find a variety of ways to re-use these product ..pizza boxes, for example, have a variety of uses, and that's still a form of recycling.



use your imagination and be better than the companies who tell you 'no' for 'no good reason' other than making a buck.



better yet, base your purchases on minimal or no packaging and you solve the recycling issue by making it unnecessary.

why do you need a bag to carry a single book out of a bookstore? or a few items from the grocery?



good luck!

Answer 2

The companies you're looking at must not have a place that can reuse paperboard. All the companies I've been involved with do accept it.



Probably it has to do with the lamination on the paperboard. Printer paper has a kind of coating on it, as does some junk mail. Some companies will not accept coated paper.

Answer 3

You can recycle the cardboard for cereal and other food boxes. Community Action recycle all of them.