2024 is the 21^st anniversary of Recycle Week and the annual celebration of recycling within the UK and how we can be even better at it! It is estimated that 18m tonnes of CO2 is saved by recycling in the UK each year.

This year’s theme is ‘Rescue Me’ which is all about rescuing things from waste that could be recycled. Corrugated board is just one of several materials that can be successfully recycled.

Not only is corrugated an easy material to recycle; it is also made from at least 70% recycled material, depending upon the board grade and type being manufactured. This makes it one of the most sustainable packaging materials around and is the most popular reason more and more businesses are switching to corrugated as their preferred packaging material.

Additionally, the sheet plants we supply are industry professionals in creating amazing packaging solutions which often feature high quality print which only adds to its appeal.

So how can consumers and business best recycle their corrugated board and packaging.

Top tips for recycling corrugated

*Ensure all non-recyclable tape, labels, shrink wrap and strapping is removed before popping the appropriate corporate or kerbside recycling facility

*If having direct contact with food, all food waste should be scraped away and disposed of in normal waste. The corrugated box, board or packaging can then be successfully recycled

*Try to keep it dry. Wet corrugated is much harder to recycle than dry corrugated

*Flatten them or break them down into smaller pieces to aid the recycling process

*Reuse wherever possible

*An amazing fact is that corrugated boxes can be recycled up to 25 times.

Producing corrugated board and packaging

During our production processes we recycle all our wastepaper and board, and we know our sheet plants also have sophisticated systems to collect waste and off cuts during the production process. Typically, this is baled on site and then sent for onward recycling.

This ensures that production and recycling processes within the corrugated industry are well managed, facilitating recycling channels and optimising the potential of waste board and off cuts, an inevitable by-product in the corrugated industry.

Frank Hay, Group Managing Director, Board24 and Cases24 commented; “Recycling corrugated board in all its forms is very important for the industry; indeed, recycled material can be produced into new sheet board in as little as two weeks!

“Recycle Week is about reinforcing the awareness and providing the encouragement for consumers primarily, but also businesses to ensure they are doing all they can to recycle all materials successfully.”

To find out more about Recycle Week and its campaign and information visit https://www.recyclenow.com/news-and-campaigns/recycle-week