Cardboard boxes are industrially prefabricated boxes that have become almost inseparable from our daily lives. It helps pack different goods from small food items like pizza, and drinks to large household materials like refrigerators, televisions, etc.
Cardboard boxes are also useful for packing your household items during a house move. However, one of the biggest challenges with using cardboard boxes is where to dispose of them or what to do with them after use.
The good news is that you will learn where to dispose of cardboard boxes in this post and know the cardboard disposal methods that suit you.
Where Can I Dispose Of Cardboard Boxes Near Me?
Below are some of the places to dispose of cardboard boxes near you:
Give To Friends, Family, Or Colleagues
One of the most accessible places to dispose of cardboard boxes is with your friends, family, or colleagues at work. Giving cardboard boxes to people close to you benefits you, the recipients, and the environment because:
- You spend less time, energy, and resources in disposing of them.
- You help the recipients save their resources by getting their needs for free.
- You contribute to maintaining environmental safety by keeping them from landfills.
Ask your friends and families that may need the cardboard boxes for various household uses. It gets even more interesting if you find someone planning to move from their current house to a new place as they may be willing to use it for moving electronics and other items.
If you can’t find someone who needs it, you may consider putting it outside your house with a ‘cardboard boxes for donation’ label to call the attention of passersby. However, it would help if you did not leave the boxes outside in the rain or under cloudy weather.
Donate To Charities And NGOs
If you cannot give cardboard boxes to people close to you, you may want to consider disposing of them at a local charity or other non-profit organization. Why will a charity need cardboard boxes?
Several non-profit organizations are willing to accept cardboard box donations for different purposes like packaging materials, transporting items, storing up to resell, etc.
For some local charities, you need to take the cardboard boxes to them, while others have a pickup system that will remove them from your house. Therefore, you need to find out how your chosen local charity operates.
Also, not all charities accept cardboard box donations. But, you can search the internet to find places that can take them, and you will not need to worry about how they dispose of them.
Churches and schools are other non-profit organizations that can take cardboard boxes for moving things.
Donate Online
Donating household items like cardboard boxes is difficult, especially if no one needs them around you and you cannot find a local charity that takes them.
Another option in such a case is to donate the items online. It will make the offer access to other people in a different location other than restricting it to the people with whom you have personal relationships, the few local charities you can access, or some other passersby in your area.
Some online platforms to list cardboard boxes for donation include Freegle, Nextdoor, and Freecycle. You can post pictures of the cardboard boxes on these platforms with your contact information and state they are available for free, then anyone who needs them will contact you.
Resell It
Selling your cardboard boxes is an excellent idea if you are looking for places to dispose of them, especially if they are new. Reselling second-hand boxes is not sure, but you can still give it a try.
There are many sales options to consider in selling cardboard boxes. You can ask your neighbors or colleagues who need it to pay some fees before taking it, and you can put it outside the house with a ‘for sale label so people can contact you if they need it.
While selling second-hand boxes may take time, you may be able to sell unused boxes faster, and the first place you should look into is the store that sold them to you. Check if the store has a return policy for unused boxes so you can return unused boxes in exchange for money.
You may try selling the boxes online if the store does not have a return policy. You can use eBay, eBid, Facebook Marketplace, CQOUT, and Gumtree. You can also find where to sell stuff online for free here.
However, you may consider other options if your cardboard boxes are branded or too old for reuse.
Return It To Goods Supplier
If your cardboard boxes are from goods you bought, you may consider returning them to your supplier, especially if they are the manufacturer.
Returning cardboard boxes to the supplier has a two-way benefit. It helps you to get them off your hands quickly, and it helps the company to save time, energy, and resources when they reuse them.
Taking boxes to the supplier or manufacturer of your goods may be a donation, but you may get compensation from some companies.
Although cardboard return policy depends mainly on the company or supplier, you also have some part to play. You should ensure the boxes are neat and reusable and also call the company to ask them beforehand.
If they are willing to take your boxes, you can schedule an appointment with them or store the boxes properly till your next visit.
Recycling Centers
Another place to dispose of cardboard boxes near you is a recycling company.
Recycling has been one of the best ways to dispose of recyclable household waste, and cardboard boxes are not left out. It is not only eco-friendly to recycle cardboard boxes but also benefits the state’s economy since they become raw materials for making new products.
Usually, disposing of cardboard boxes at a hazardous waste recycling center is free, but it is best to check your council’s website for more details. Also, some recycling centers have pickup policies, while others do not.
You can locate a recycling center close to you at Earth911 or search for ‘recycling centers near me on the internet.
Other Tips For Disposing Of Cardboard Boxes
Here are some other tips for disposing of cardboard boxes at
Reuse
You can reuse cardboard boxes at home for other purposes, especially if you do not have them in excess.
Cardboard boxes are perfect for mailing gift items on birthdays or special holidays. You can also use them for storing items like clothes and kitchen utensils at home or as packaging materials for moving into a new home or office space. You can put items in each room in each box and label the boxes respectively when moving.
Upcycle It
You may want to consider upcycling your cardboard boxes if you have them in large quantities. You can do several DIY projects with the cardboard boxes at home, leaving you with new products and less garbage for disposal.
You can do fun projects like toys and playhouses for your kids or other household items like furniture or photo displays. You can check other cardboard boxes upcycling ideas here.
Use A Garbage Disposal Company
Another reliable option for disposing of cardboard boxes is to use a licensed garbage disposal company. You can ask your regular garbage collector for help, and they will give you ideas that suit your community even if they can’t take it.
Participate In Bulky Goods Collection Services
You can participate in bulky goods collection services if you have too many cardboard boxes. The local government or your community usually sponsors bulky goods collection services, and it is always an opportunity to dispose of bulky household waste.
The program can be free or paid, depending on the organizers, but you can be sure your cardboard boxes are in good hands when participating.
