While online shopping is sometimes quicker and easier than buying from a local retailer, it can have severe environmental consequences if packaging materials aren’t properly disposed of, according to a North Carolina State University professor.

“Packaging materials, whether they’re made from paper or plastic, are very important because they help protect products. But some of these materials, especially plastics, are still making their way into trash cans instead of recycling bins,” said Richard Venditti, the Elis-Signe Olsson Professor of Pulp and Paper Science and Engineering in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State.

Venditti, whose research focuses on paper recycling and environmental life cycle analysis, added that packaging materials in trash cans are sent to landfills where non-biodegradable materials occupy space for centuries and biodegradable materials break down and release greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

Recycling is one of the easiest and most efficient methods available for both retailers and consumers to reduce the number of cardboard boxes in the waste stream, according to Venditti. It not only conserves energy and natural resources, but it also helps reduce pollution.

Cardboard, like other paper-based products, is manufactured from cellulose fibers extracted primarily from trees. “Paper and paperboard recycling makes more efficient use of our forest resources and avoids some of the environmental burdens associated with making cardboard from trees,” Venditti said. 

More importantly, when consumers recycle packaging, it reduces the amount of cardboard in landfills and the amount of greenhouse gases that it emits during decomposition. Cardboard packaging that is sent to landfills releases some fugitive methane, for example.

Ninety-two percent of all cardboard boxes in the United States are recycled. The remaining 8% is sent to landfills because it’s unsuitable for recycling since it may be disposed of in remote areas or contaminated with food or other material, according to Venditti. 

“Paper is definitely a success in the materials recycling universe, with recovery rates far higher than plastics or glass and other materials,” Venditti said. “The recycling levels that we’re seeing with these boxes are incredible. But we need people to be more effective in their overall recycling, especially with other materials such as plastics and metals.”

A Recycling Crisis

Most Americans have access to community curbside or drop-off recycling for paper and paperboard packaging. But as consumers receive more products directly from online retailers, they’re recycling less and throwing away more. Part of the reason is the confusion over what is recyclable, according to Venditti.  

Recycling programs also face challenges. For the past quarter century, the U.S. and other countries around the world have sent a significant portion of their recyclable discards to China for recycling.

But then China enacted its “National Sword” policy, which bans unsorted mixed paper and plastic waste imports to curb environmental pollution. This has left many American municipalities and companies with nowhere to send their waste for recycling.  

“China was purchasing recyclable materials for rather high prices, but now they’re not buying from us anymore,” Venditti said. “As a result, the price for recycled paper has decreased dramatically.”

That means collectors and haulers earn less for their efforts, making them less likely to go the extra mile to collect materials that are only marginally profitable.

Municipalities and companies have responded by upgrading domestic sorting technology, building local processing infrastructure, tightening public recycling rules to reduce contamination and shifting toward localized waste-to-energy or alternative regional markets.

Venditti is currently examining the potential use of low-grade mixed paper waste in cardboard packaging in order to increase demand for recycled materials. He is also analyzing how it impacts the physical properties of cardboard boxes, including strength and durability.

“One of the primary goals of this research is to demonstrate a sustainable and effective method for companies to protect their products that have the added benefit of projecting a positive image of the product,” Venditti said. “As the population of the world increases and demands for packaging increase, research projects to develop solutions like this one are critical for society.”