Cardboard

Corrugated cardboard must be empty, clean, and dry when placed in recycling. Remove all packing material inside the box and discard in the trash, then flatten the cardboard to conserve space. This also helps ensure the cardboard is sorted properly at the recycling facility. Cardboard and mixed paper should be kept out of rain and wet weather. 

All corrugated cardboard and paper boxes - including shipping boxes, boxboard, paperboard, and pizza boxes (no food or excess grease) - can be included in curbside recycling or taken to a mixed paper recycling bin.

Cardboard Drop-Offs

Flattened cardboard can be dropped off at a mixed paper recycling bin, typically found in school or municipal parking lots, nonprofits, places of worship, and the Cleveland Metroparks. Royal Oak Recycling (Paper Retriever) and Integrity Fiber (fka. River Valley Paper Company) do not provide a regularly updated list of their locations to the Solid Waste District. Check with your city service department for a list of paper bins in your community, 

The Solid Waste District hosts a Royal Oak Recycling bin. The mixed paper recycling bin in our parking lot at 4750 East 131 Street in Garfield Heights, accepts cardboard, mixed paper, shredded paper, junk mail, magazines, office paper, and phone books. Be a good recycler. Rain and precipitation in the District's mixed paper bin make the paper wet and can ruin recycling efforts. We appreciate recyclers who close the lid after they've placed clean, dry paper or flattened cardboard inside it. 

Paper Recycling Bins in the Cleveland Metroparks

This list includes paper recycling bins, accepting cardboard and mixed paper, located in the Cleveland Metroparks. For more information or location details, contact the Cleveland Metroparks

• Bay Village: Huntington Beach, 28900 Lake Avenue
• Brecksville: Brecksville Reservation, 9000 Chippewa Creek Drive
• Brecksville: Sleepy Hollow Golf Clubhouse, 9445 Brecksville Road
• Broadview Heights: Seneca Golf Maintenance, 1901 E. Edgerton Road
• Chagrin Falls: South Chagrin Reservation, 35069 Cannon Road
• Cleveland: Lakefront East Wildwood Marina, 16975 Wildwood Drive
• Cleveland: Lakefront West Admin Building, 8701 Lakeshore Boulevard
• Cleveland: Tremont Parking Lot, 1357 Abbey Avenue
• Cleveland: Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way
• Cuyahoga Heights: Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, 4524 E. 49th Street
• Euclid: Euclid Creek Reservation, 850 Euclid Creek Parkway
• Fairview Park: Big Met Golf Course, 4811 Valley Parkway
• Fairview Park: Rocky River Reservation, 4500 Valley Parkway
• Garfield Heights: Garfield Park Reservation, 11410 Broadway Avenue
• Hinckley (Medina County): Hinckley Reservation, 1892 East Drive
• Newburgh Heights: Washington Golf Learning, 3841 Washington Park Boulevard
• North Royalton: Mill Stream Run Reservation, 14662 W. 130th Street
• Parma: West Creek Reservation, 1648 W. Ridgewood Drive
• Strongsville: Mill Stream Run Reservation, 9485 Eastland Road
• Valley View: Brecksville Reservation, 6100 W. Canal Road
• Walton Hills: Shawnee Hills Golf Course, 18753 Egbert Road
• Westlake: Bradley Woods Reservation, 4538 Bailus Road
• Willoughby (Lake County): Manakiki Golf Clubhouse, 35501 Eddy Road
• Willoughby (Lake County): North Chagrin Reservation, 3037 SOM Center Road

Why Should I Keep Cardboard and Paper Dry?

When cardboard gets wet, it lowers the quality of the paper and its usefulness for recycling. Each time cardboard gets wet and dries out, the fibers become shorter, making the paper brittle, crumbly, and less valuable to recyclers. Wet paper also tends to mold quickly, which lowers its value as a recyclable commodity. 

Additionally, wet cardboard is difficult to sort at the materials recovery facility (MRF) where curbside recyclables are sorted and baled. The machines that sort cardboard are designed to handle dry, lightweight materials. Heavy, wet cardboard may jam equipment and not get properly sorted causing it to be thrown away. If it can't be contained in an enclosed cart or bin, it's recommended that residents only put paper and flattened cardboard out on a dry day. 

See more about recycling paper and boxes.

Businesses can recycle cardboard through specialized companies. See below for a list of Business Locations.

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