Rumpke offers “cardboard only” containers as an option to businesses that generate a significant volume of cardboard, such as stores and restaurants. This effort recovers tons of cardboard (literally) and saves acres of landfill space every year. Unfortunately, contamination of this cardboard is a serious problem and destroys the integrity of the cardboard for recycling.

Learn more about recycling options for schools and businesses.

Contamination is anything other than cardboard that is put in a “cardboard only” container. Examples include food waste, wax-coated boxes, plastic, garbage, etc. When a paper mill detects these items in a bale of cardboard, it will be rejected. In other words, it will not be recycled.

In an effort to stop the contamination problem and recycle as much as possible, Rumpke has sent a “Recycling Alert” to thousands of businesses using cardboard recycling service. Rumpke will also audit containers designated for cardboard at stores and restaurants to identify the source of contamination. Employees of these locations must be careful to only put cardboard in containers labeled “cardboard only.”

Whether you are at home, school or work, it’s important to recycle right and know what should go in your recycling container. Learn about recycling at home, which can include more than cardboard. Rumpke’s combined recycling programs recover more than 700 million pounds of materials, annually.

About the author: Megan Chadwick is the summer 2015 corporate communications intern at Rumpke.