Is Cardboard a Waste Stream or a Recycling Stream?

Cardboard Prices as a waste management stream

How do you differ a waste stream to a recycling stream?

One simple answer – The recycling stream generates revenue and the waste stream generates a cost for disposal.

There are a number of different streams of waste produced across the country every day, by households, commercial and industrial businesses. More than 98% of every household and business will produce a waste stream.

How do you know what is recycled and what is waste?

Cardboard – This material is used in huge volumes across all industries, sectors and households. Is this a waste stream which attracts a disposal cost or is it a recycling stream that attracts a revenue?

Baled cardboard prices per ton

Cardboard is a world traded commodity. It’s price is dictated by the world market and supply and demand. Prices over the last 4 years have fluctuated hugely:

June 2017 sales price into domestic mills was £115 – £130 per tonne
June 2018 sales price into domestic mills was £70 – £100 per tonne
June 2019 sales price into domestic mills was £35 – £50 per tonne
June 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £45 – £75 per tonne

As you can see by the table the price ranges from £35 per tonne up to £130 per tonne.

January 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £10 – £20 per tonne
February 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £15 – £28 per tonne
March 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £15 – £35 per tonne
April 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £35 – £75 per tonne
May 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £60 – £110 per tonne
June 2020 sales price into domestic mills was £45 – £75 per tonne

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As you can see the price ranges from £10 per tonne up to £75 per tonne in 2020 so far alone.

This creates a problem in the waste industry. Companies that produce cardboard, as a waste stream, look to have this material removed either Free of Charge or they want paying for the material.

A False Market

Regardless of the market value of the Cardboard there is still always a cost to collect the material, process for cleanliness and then bale up for further transport to a domestic mill or export.
Also when the prices for cardboard are above £100 per tonne the industry see lots of small firms, a few charities and even the prison service start to collect cardboard from shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and businesses Free of Charge and then sell it in to waste companies.

This creates a false market and when the price drops off then creates an abundance of waste cardboard that no one wants to collect and no business wants to pay for to have disposed of.

Residual Value

Cardboard is a waste stream that can have a residual value which the waste company can offset against collection, processing and baling.
This allows the waste company to create a profit which then keeps them in business.

We have seen a large number of waste companies go out of business because of start up companies offering this service Free of Charge, who ultimately disappear and leave the waste behind.

Helping you

We offer a waste cardboard collection service in Kent and will reflect the cost of disposal inline with the recycling market value of cardboard.

Loose Cardboard

Baled Cardboard

FAQ’s

“What is cardboard made from?”

The fibre’s from any plant or tree can be used to create paper and cardboard, however, the strength and quality of these fibre’s varies among tree species. Hardwood trees tend to have shorter fibres which produce weaker paper but, this tends to also produce a smoother and opaque finish, generally more suitable for printing. On the other hand, softwood trees such as pines and firs, have longer, stronger fibres which produces the strength within corrugated packaging.

“Can you make paper into cardboard?”

Yes, waste paper is shredded and then put thru the same process as wood to make pulp and then to make cardboard

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