You have moved into your dream home, or your next stop on the property ladder, unpacked all of your boxes, and put everything in its place. Your house looks great, with one big exception – that huge pile of broken down cardboard boxes in the corner of the basement. What do you do with this unsightly fire hazard? Before you drag all of the boxes to the curb to be sent to the landfills, consider your options for recycling them.



Donate Your Boxes

Believe it or not, you can donate your boxes to the companies that sell new and used moving boxes. Many companies take a portion of the proceeds from the sale of boxes they receive as a donation and pass it on to needy members of the local community. So by donating your boxes you are helping in two ways. You are keeping extra cardboard out of the environment and the landfills, where it will gradually rot while taking up tons of space, and you are also helping needy people within your local community.

When you donate your boxes, call the company first to see how they want you to package them. You may need to make sure all of the boxes are clean, and you may need to break them down. This makes them easier to store for the company that will be reselling them. However, before you start breaking them down, call, because you will be wasting your time if this is not required. Some companies even provide pick-up services for people with a lot of boxes to get rid of.

Offer Them to Someone Else

Do you know someone who is moving too? They might want your boxes, and they might be willing to come and get them from you. If not, put an ad in your paper or in one of the many free online classifieds for your local area letting people know that you have boxes available. If you are donating them to a stranger, make sure you arrange for a safe pick up scenario. You do not necessarily want a stranger to enter your home to pick up boxes, but you could meet in a public location or drag your boxes outside for him to take.

If All Else Fails, Recycle

If you cannot find a place to donate your boxes to, look into your options for recycling them. Check with your local recycling center to find out what the procedure is for recycling cardboard boxes. You will probably need to break them down and stack them. Do not just drag the boxes to the curb, as you will not be assured that it is the recycling truck that picks them up versus the regular garbage truck. Make sure that you make all of the necessary arrangements for a proper pick up.

If curbside pick up is not available, find out where you can take them to be recycled. This is a hassle, but when you stop and think about the fact that most of the paper waste in today's landfills is cardboard, you will understand the importance of recycling those boxes.

Remember, if you are using quality moving boxes, they are probably in good shape after your move. Someone else can, and should, benefit from your unneeded boxes. You can save someone a lot of money by donating them to a moving box company or a friend in need, and you will be doing your part to keep our landfills clear. As an added bonus, you will have a spot in your basement to use for your actual treasures, rather than those unwanted, unattractive cardboard boxes