Many manufacturers, distributors and warehouse operations generate waste cardboard boxes through their production processes. The standard disposal route is baling for recycling which is great for the environment but is that the best solution?
Thinking about the recycling process for a moment, the used boxes are baled and transported to a paper maker, once the bales are reprocessed into reels of recycled paper they are transported to a cardboard manufacturer who after processing the paper transports the corrugated board to a box manufacturer who converts the material into boxes. Masses of energy and resource is consumed to produce exactly what we started with, a cardboard box!
So what if there was a solution that paid the producer of waste a better rate than waste cardboard processors, was substantially more energy efficient and was much more environmentally friendly? Meet Sadlers the Birmingham based cardboard box reuse specialist. Sadlers buy old boxes and divert them back into the reuse market delivering benefits for producers of waste and for buyers of packaging.
For producers of waste Sadlers offer many benefits. Firstly there is a substantial financial benefit as the rate paid by Sadlers is substantially higher than the baled rate. In addition prices are fixed for the longer term, up to three years in some instances whereas baled cardboard rates can vary wildly depending upon global demand. Further savings are made by avoiding the costly baling process.
The environmental benefits are massive too, by reusing cardboard boxes the demand for new boxes is reduced which in turn reduces demand for water (used in the recycling and manufacturing process), energy (used for transportation and manufacturing) and trees (used to strengthen recycled paper).
So how does it work? Sadlers recommend segregating reusable cardboard boxes as they are originated so when empty they are flattened, accumulated on wooden pallets then stored on Sadlers trailer which they will leave on site free of charge (subject to volume). Once full Sadlers collect and replace the trailer with an empty one.
Buyers of packaging also benefit too, Sadlers supply used boxes at much lower prices than new boxes. What’s more packing in used boxes can reduce your liabilities under the Producer Responsibility Obligations so in effect the tax on packaging is reduced.
The current thinking on waste is “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” so if you cannot reduce your waste stream the next best thing is “Reuse”, time to call Sadlers!
SADLERS
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