Many retail businesses will use various packaging materials for the products they sell or deliver to their customers. Because of the rising desire for improved recycling rates, thankfully, most of the packaging materials accessible to merchants will already be recyclable.
However, there are some items that you may not be aware of that are not frequently recycled, and others that many people feel are not recyclable but are.
Cardboard corrugated
Corrugated cardboard is a common packaging material for a range of enterprises, and it is fortunately widely and easily recycled. Most of the time, you can just throw your used boxes in the regular dry recycling bin and rest assured that they will not wind up in a landfill.
However, there are certain recycling centers that need corrugated cardboard to be segregated from other forms of paper and card, but this is becoming increasingly unusual.
Wrapping in bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is one of the most commonly discarded packaging materials because many people believe it is a single-use plastic that cannot be recycled and hence disregard it. While bubble wrap is not routinely recycled, it can be recycled through certain methods at authorized waste treatment facilities.
It usually depends on the type of bubble wrap you’re using. If it’s made of polythene, that’s fantastic because it can be recycled. It cannot, however, if it is made of PP or PVC. So, if your company uses bubble wrap packaging, you should learn what it is made of and switch to polythene bubble wrap if you aren’t already.
Another tip for recycling bubble wrap is to remove as much tape or sticky labels as possible to ensure that your waste collector can properly recycle the item.
Polystyrene
This substance is frequently used as ‘packing peanuts,’ filling any empty space in boxes to keep products from moving about too much, especially if they are fragile. This item is difficult to recycle, but it can be done, so keep it separate from your normal rubbish.
Padded envelopes or jiffy bags
Although the materials used to make them (paper and bubble wrap) are recyclable on their own, jiffy bags are not. Because there is no efficient way to separate the bubble wrap from the paper, the two materials cannot be recycled together because they require different recycling processing procedures.
Unfortunately, unless an efficient separation procedure or alternate packaging option is found, this packaging material will end up in the garbage.
As a result, we recommend avoiding this packaging if possible. If you require recycling pickup for your business, we have an excellent solution to give you. We collect for hundreds of retail businesses and have the experience and expertise to assist your company in the future. Fill out the simple quote form below for a free quote.