Or you can DIY for disposal, compositing, garden beds and more…

Step 1: Decontaminate & Disassemble Safely

• Remove All ‘Non-Paper’ Contaminants: Before anything else, completely empty the box. Crucially, remove and discard materials that cannot be recycled with the cardboard, such as Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, plastic air pillows, and flexible plastic film.

• The Pizza Box Rule: Grease is a contaminant. The only exception is clean pizza box tops—if the bottom liner has oil stains, tear off the stained section and throw it away, recycling only the clean cardboard.

• Safe Breakdown Technique: To flatten quickly, run a utility knife or box cutter (safety first!) along the main center seam on the bottom of the box. Open all flaps, and the box should easily fold flat along its natural creases.

Step 2: The Flattening Standard (The Most Important Rule)

• Maximize Space & Efficiency: All cardboard must be flattened. Why? Unflattened boxes are primarily air, which fills up your curbside bin and our transfer trucks instantly. Flattening ensures we can efficiently transport the maximum amount of material to the facility.

• Large Box Tip: For major appliance or furniture boxes, break them down into pieces no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet for easy handling and to prevent them from jamming collection equipment at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

Step 3: Storage & Moisture Prevention

• Keep it Clean and Dry: Cardboard is essentially wood pulp. Once it is wet or moldy, the fibers are damaged and it often becomes unrecyclable. Store your flattened cardboard recycling in a clean, dry area (like a garage or basement) until collection day.

• Binding vs. Stacking: If your local service requires it, neatly bundle large stacks of flattened cardboard using natural twine. Do not use plastic strapping or garbage bags to bundle, as this itself is a contaminant.