Flat
Break boxes down
EPA lists uncompacted corrugated and chipboard at about 75 pounds a cubic yard, against 106 for flattened corrugated.2 Flattening fits more into every pickup and stops boxes bridging in the container.
Cardboard recycling service: keep it flat, dry and out of the trash
Corrugated boxes are the largest single product category in U.S. municipal solid waste, and the most recycled. EPA counts 33.3 million tons generated in 2018 and a 96.5 percent recycling rate.1 For a store or a warehouse, the work is keeping your own boxes in that stream: flattened, dry and free of trash.
- 96.5%Corrugated recycling rate, 2018
- 106 lbA flattened cubic yard
- One streamKept apart from trash
Why it is its own stream
Light, bulky, and worth more kept clean
EPA puts flattened corrugated at about 106 pounds a cubic yard.2 Thrown in the trash, boxes take up space you pay to haul. Kept apart, they go to a mill as a material, which is why a building with steady deliveries treats cardboard as its own stream.
One bale, counted in flattened boxes
7.5 to 9.4 cu ydof flattened boxes
One bale800 to 1,000 lb, about 1.85 cu yd
4 to 5 times denser baled
A bale packs the same cardboard into a fraction of the space, ready for a recycler to pick up off the dock. Flattened boxes in a dedicated container skip the machine and still keep cardboard out of the trash.
Not recycled, cardboard mostly ends up in a landfill: EPA counts 940,000 tons of corrugated boxes landfilled in 2018.1 Those are national figures, not a site's diversion rate and not a price for a bale.
Which setup
A cardboard container, a baler, or neither?
The choice turns on how much cardboard you make, how much floor you have and who takes the output.
- Lower volume
A dedicated cardboard container
Flattened boxes only, emptied on a schedule or when full. No machine to run and no floor space inside the building.
- Higher volume
A baler
Vertical in a back room, horizontal where boxes never stop. Worth it when you fill a bale every few weeks. Our provider network supplies balers to rent or lease.
- Not recycling
The trash compactor
Cardboard can go in a trash compactor, but it goes out as trash. A compactor full of clean cardboard is a missed recycling load.
The baler vs compactor guide compares the machines on footprint, power and output, and compactors and balers covers renting one and the backup when it is down.
How much
A week of boxes, in pounds and bales
Estimate the flattened cubic yards you make in a week. Weight comes from EPA's flattened figure;2 bales use the 800 to 1,000 pound bale from our baler guide.
| Flattened boxes a week | About | Bales | Usual fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cu yd | 212 lb | One every 4 to 5 weeks | A cardboard container |
| 5 cu yd | 530 lb | About one every 2 weeks | Either; compare space and pickups |
| 10 cu yd | 1,060 lb | 1.1 to 1.3 a week | A vertical baler |
| 20 cu yd | 2,120 lb | 2.1 to 2.7 a week | A baler with a regular bale pickup |
Planning figures only. Your recycler's scale decides, and boxes packed loosely or left wet weigh differently. Run your own volume through the sizing tool in the baler vs compactor guide, which also sizes the trash compactor.
Flat, dry, clean
Three habits that keep a cardboard load a cardboard load
A bale with trash in it is not a mill bale. Most of the work happens at the point where boxes are opened.
Dry
Keep it under a lid or a roof
Rain adds weight the scale counts and soaks the fiber. Close container lids, store bales indoors or covered, and ask your recycler how it treats wet loads.
Clean
Cardboard only
Trash, food and liquids make a load harder to sell or get it refused. A clear sign and a separate trash can beside the container do most of the work.
Ask first
Waxed, lined or food-soiled boxes
Waxed produce boxes, boxes with plastic liners and greasy food boxes are where recyclers differ. Your recycler sets the list, so ask before they go in.
Setting it up
Six steps to a cardboard stream that stays clean
Measure a normal week
Count flattened cubic yards or bales for two or three weeks, including a delivery-heavy one.
Pick the setup
A container for lower volume, a baler when you fill a bale every few weeks. Check floor space and power before a baler.
Put it where boxes are opened
Receiving, the stockroom or the dock. A long walk to the container is how cardboard ends up in the trash.
Sign it and train for it
Cardboard only, flattened. Only trained adults run a baler; see the safety rules.
Set the pickup to the fill rate
Containers emptied before they overflow, bales picked up before they crowd the floor.
Keep the weights
Ask for tons by stream from hauler and facility tickets if you report diversion or ESG numbers.
Keep it out
What stays out of the cardboard
These turn a clean cardboard load into a mixed one. Your recycler has the final say on what a load may contain.
- Trash, food and liquidsKeep a trash can beside the cardboard container so nothing else ends up in it.
- Plastic film, strapping and foam packingPull them out as boxes are broken down, unless your recycler says it takes them.
- Lithium-ion batteriesReturns and damaged goods can hide them. EPA says lithium-ion batteries should not go in garbage or recycling bins, because a damaged battery can start a fire.3
- Wet, waxed or greasy boxesAsk first. Some recyclers take them in small amounts, others refuse the load.
Rules and safety
What the primary sources say
Recycling rules come from your state and city. The machine safety guidance is federal.
U.S. EPA
The national picture
Corrugated boxes were 11.4 percent of all municipal solid waste generated in 2018. About 32.1 million tons were recycled, and landfills received 940,000 tons.1
OSHA SHIB 08-13-2013
Baler discharge doors
OSHA warns that fatigue cracks can grow through a baler or compactor's discharge-door locking bars until the door swings open with deadly force. It tells employers to follow the manufacturer's guidance, have the lock inspected, fit a restraint such as a hook or chain, and train workers.4
Federal child labor rules
Workers under 18
Federal rules bar 16 and 17 year olds from operating or unloading balers and compactors, with a narrow loading exception. Our baler vs compactor guide has the details.
State and city rules
Business recycling laws
Some states and cities require businesses to recycle once they pass a volume threshold, and some cover every business. Our commercial recycling laws page links each rule to its text.
How it works with Detritus
One request for the cardboard stream
Send one request. We source a baler or a cardboard container and the pickups from a local provider in the markets we serve, on the same agreement and invoice as your trash service. Availability varies by market. What a recycler pays for bales moves with the market, so we do not promise a rebate. Ask us for tons by stream if you report diversion.
- Each address, and the kind of building
- Flattened cardboard a week, or bales a month
- Floor space and power, if you want a baler
- What you use for cardboard and trash today
- Whether you need weights for diversion or ESG reporting
- How you want the invoice split
Decide
If this, then that
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A small store with a few deliveries a week | A dedicated cardboard container, flattened boxes only |
| You fill a bale every few weeks | A vertical baler in the back room. See baler vs compactor |
| A warehouse or distribution center | A horizontal baler where boxes never stop. See manufacturing and distribution |
| Cardboard keeps filling the trash compactor | Pull it out into its own container or baler and size the compactor to the trash left |
| Several stores on different haulers | One agreement across locations. See retailers |
| A sustainability or ESG report is due | Weights by stream from tickets. See ESG waste reporting and diversion reports |
Common questions
Cardboard recycling questions
What is OCC?
OCC stands for old corrugated containers: used cardboard boxes. It is the material a baler usually makes into bales for a mill.
Do I need a baler or a cardboard container?
A container suits lower volume and needs no machine. A baler makes sense once you would fill a bale every few weeks and have the floor space and power for it.
How much does flattened cardboard weigh?
EPA puts flattened corrugated at about 106 pounds a cubic yard. A bale from a 60 inch vertical baler weighs about 800 to 1,000 pounds.
Can cardboard go in the trash compactor?
It can, but it goes out as trash. If cardboard is filling the compactor, a separate container or a baler keeps it in the recycling stream.
Will I get paid for cardboard bales?
Sometimes. What a recycler pays moves with the market and the quality of the bales, so ask before you count on a rebate.
Is cardboard recycling required?
In some places. Several states and cities require businesses to recycle, by volume or for everyone. Our commercial recycling laws page tracks them.
How do I get a quote?
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with each address, your weekly cardboard and what you use today.
Boxes filling the trash?
Tell us how much cardboard you make and where it piles up. Local providers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill.
Related guides
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Containers and Packaging: Product-Specific Data (last updated October 19, 2026), corrugated boxes, 2018 data: 33.3 million tons generated, 11.4 percent of total MSW generation and the largest single product category; about 32.1 million tons recycled, a 96.5 percent recycling rate; 230,000 tons combusted and 940,000 tons landfilled. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016): old corrugated containers flattened 106 lb per cubic yard, and corrugated and chip board uncompacted 74.54 lb; refrigerator 250 lb, clothes washer 150, stove 150, clothes dryer 125 and dishwasher 125 lb per unit; major appliances 145 lb per loose cubic yard; desktop 27 lb, laptop 9.8, CRT monitor 40, flat panel monitor 24, CRT TV over 19 inch 73, flat panel TV 29 and printer 16.1 lb each; food waste 463 lb per cubic yard, restaurant food waste 396 lb per cubic yard, and a 64 gallon toter of food waste 150 lb. Checked November 4, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. EPA, Used Lithium-Ion Batteries (last updated March 20, 2026): lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins; batteries damaged in transport or sorting create a fire hazard, and an increase in fires at recycling and waste facilities prompted an industry campaign; take them to separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points; tape terminals or bag each battery. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. OSHA, Safety and Health Information Bulletin, Operating Hazards of Baler Discharge-Door Locks (SHIB 08-13-2013): fatigue cracks can form and propagate through discharge-door locking bars, allowing the door to swing open with deadly force; employers should consult the manufacturer, have the locking mechanism inspected, install a restraint such as a hook or chain, inspect periodically and train workers; cites 29 CFR 1910.146, 1910.147 and 1910.212 and the ANSI Z245 standards. Checked November 5, 2026. osha.gov