Can You Recycle Cardboard with Tape on It?
We get this question a lot: Do I have to remove tape or labels before recycling cardboard boxes?
Good news—you don’t!
Tape and shipping labels do not interfere with the recycling process. When cardboard is recycled, it’s broken down into paper fibers. Any leftover tape or labels are filtered out and removed along the way.
That means you can keep recycling simple. Just remember these 3 easy steps:
- Empty it. Remove any packing materials like Styrofoam or plastic air pillows. You can check your local guidelines on how to dispose of those.
- Flatten it. Breaking down your boxes helps save space in your bin and keeps them clean and dry.
- Recycle it. Place the empty, flattened box in your recycling bin. That’s it!
It’s important to keep your cardboard dry. If it gets a little wet on collection day, that’s usually okay. But try to store flattened boxes somewhere dry until it’s time to put them out.
Recycling cardboard correctly helps ensure those paper fibers can be turned into new products like shipping boxes, cereal boxes, and even toilet paper.
Recycling Pro Tip
Even if your cardboard is dented or ripped, you can still recycle it.
Always check your local recycling guidelines. Most communities accept cardboard in curbside or drop-off recycling programs. In fact, about 94% of Americans have access to community paper and paperboard recycling programs.
Dive into the Paper Recycling ProcessCurious how the paper recycling process works? We explain what happens after your recycling is picked up!