Environment and Recycling
Corrugated packaging the environmental choice -
Raising awareness of the recyclability of corrugated boxes
As companies look at how they can reduce their ‘carbon footprint’. Many are looking to corrugated packaging to help fulfil both their commercial end environmental needs.
Packaging has come under the spotlight in recent months and consumers are concerned about its impact on the environment. Corrugated boxes offer superb opportunities as they come from a sustainable resource and have an extremely high recycling rate at the end of their useful life.
The recycling performance of the UK corrugated industry speaks for itself:
Corrugated cardboard has a recycling rate of 84% in the UK. This is the highest recycling rate of any type of packaging in the UK.- As a direct result, every four months an area the size of Greater London is saved from landfill.
- On average, corrugated boxes manufactured in the UK are made from 76% recycled fibre.
- The recycling of paper is not a new concept and industry is proud of its recycling heritage that started over 100 years ago.
- The recycling loop is so efficient that an old box can be recycled, remade and reused in just two weeks.
- Corrugated boxes are biodegradable and in some cases this will be the preferred disposal method. Consumers can take this opportunity where recycling facilities are not yet available.
This means that, by using corrugated instead of less environmentally friendly materials, customers are already on the path to achieving their environmental objectives.
Second, the increasing strength to weight ratio of corrugated board means that it is taking over from materials such as plastic, wood and even metals.