Turning Waste into Revenue: A Guide to Cardboard Recycling Rebates
Did you know you could be making money from old cardboard?
In the UK, the cardboard recycling rebate is a worthwhile financial incentive that allows businesses to receive payments or discounts for selling large volumes of clean, baled cardboard. For this reason, many businesses are investing in on-site cardboard balers to turn their waste into revenue.
If your facility handles large volumes of cardboard on a daily basis, here’s how to reap the financial and environmental benefits.
What is a recycling rebate?
Recycling rebates are payments given to businesses for managing their waste in a responsible way. When it comes to cardboard, this could mean selling bales on to be manufactured into new products.
Rebates can be given in different forms, including a direct cash payment, a discount on future waste management services, and credit on a business account.
Who offers recycling rebates in the UK?
Recycling rebates are typically offered by most UK commercial waste collection companies as an incentive for complying with legislation such as the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.
Collaborating with these companies is an effective way to maximise your financial return on recyclables.
How much can businesses earn from selling cardboard bales?
On average, businesses can earn between £70 and £80 per tonne when they sell cardboard bales. However, it’s worth noting that cardboard value can vary based on volume, cleanliness, and the quality of sorting and packaging.
Contaminated cardboard could decrease the value of your load and potentially void eligibility completely.
How to prepare your cardboard for resale
Presentation and condition are the most important factors for increasing cardboard resale prices. Follow our tips below for your best chance of a high return:
1. Check the condition of your cardboard
Take a look at your cardboard stock and identify the boxes that are clean, dry, and free from damage. Dispose of any cardboard that is heavily damaged, features excessive writing, or includes labels that cannot be removed.
2. Remove contaminants
Ensure that the following materials are removed from your cardboard before proceeding:
- Plastic tape
- Strapping
- Packaging inserts
- Food residue
- Liquids
- Any other waste
3. Flatten and store the cardboard
Carefully break down your cardboard boxes to save on-site space and prepare them for resale. Carefully cut and fold them along the seams into a flat, storable form.
4. Keep it dry
Contaminated or wet cardboard may be rejected if it’s in too bad a condition. If you’re not planning on baling it straight away, make sure to store it on-site in a dry space away from moisture.
5. Invest in a cardboard baler
This step is where many businesses opt for a cardboard baler to help make the scrap cardboard resale process quicker and more efficient. Some recycling rebate companies may accept loose cardboard, but most offer a better price if it is pre-compacted into bales.
At phs Wastekit, we can supply a variety of cardboard baling machines to suit your facility and how much cardboard waste it generates on average.
The Orwak 5010-E Baler is our most compact cardboard baler, capable of producing 50kg bales with a press force of 3 tons. On the other end of the scale, we have the V-Press 1160 Pro with a press force of 55 tons and the ability to bale cardboard up to 550kg in weight. It can even bale plastic, too.
If you produce high volumes of cardboard waste on a regular basis, a cardboard baler will pay for itself in no time.
Is there a minimum volume that applies to cardboard recycling rebates?
If you’re considering working with a waste collection company for a cardboard recycling rebate, it’s important to bear in mind that providers may require a minimum volume for you to be eligible for the payment.
Providers typically require a minimum of 100kg worth of cardboard for rebates, but you should check the exact weight/volume requirements of your specific waste collection company.
Browse our range of cardboard balers today
If you’d like to make your cardboard waste management process more efficient, eco-friendly, and potentially make money while doing it, the phs Wastekit team can help. We stock cardboard balers from compact to heavy-duty to suit your facility’s needs.
Enquire today, and we’ll happily discuss your options, our product recommendations, and how you can start making a return on your cardboard waste.