Proper cardboard removal important this holiday season

With many people opting to order Christmas gifts online this year, there has been a steady increase of leftover cardboard.

It is exciting to receive items shipped in-time for the holidays, but what happens to the boxes the gifts were delivered in?

Kathleen Barsoum is the waste coordinator at Region of Waterloo Waste Management.

She said that especially with the pandemic, proper methods of disposal are extremely important.

“The cardboard is collected by the recycling truck and the hopper is not that big so you can't put out a whole box,” said Barsoum. “It also has a tendency to blow away, creating littler.”

Residents are being asked to break down their cardboard boxes into 75cm by 75 cm by 20cm size before being put for collection.

“Tie them into bundles if you have more than a couple,” added Barsoum. “That will stop them from blowing around.”

Following that process, the broken-down boxes can be placed inside a blue box.

A truck will come around after 7 a.m to pick the cardboard up. It may not always be a recycling truck due to the increased demand.

“There are some times in certain areas that a garbage truck is reassigned to collect only cardboard. Don't be alarmed though, they're just supporting the recycling trucks,” she said.

Barsoum reassured that a regular garbage truck will still come by at some point throughout the day. She also reminded residents that Styrofoam is not recyclable and should be placed into the garbage bin.