AIBU for people not breaking down cardboard boxes into recycling bins

[Aerom]

Why people don’t bother to flatten down cardboard boxes - cereal boxes to boxes that had stuff delivered in before putting into their recycling bin. Boxes that not flattened take up much space. You are binning air if don’t flatten boxes.

Walking past a lady binning a box which was about a size of two shoe boxes side by side into her recycling bin. She couldn’t put the lid down. I asked if I could help. I flattened the box and placed in bin and could put the lid down.

On recycling bin days - often see boxes intact over hanging the bin. Not just where I live but in the town where I work

Another trick is to wet the box with hose ... you can then scrunch or roll it up.

I flatten some, but I wouldnt do cereal boxes, egg boxes etc. It all fits in, and its really easy to just squish down if needed occasionally.

I often use one box and then flatten everything else into it, so would look as though I hadn’t bothered.

i asked my bin lady, who said better for them as everything just chucked in.

this isn’t advised. It causes problems at the recycling/sorting plants. RIP it up or flatten it. Probably takes less time and isn’t a pointless waste of water

https://cardboard.org.uk/news/woes-of-wet-cardboard/

There's a lot of actual PACKAGING around these days isn't there? Everything is boxed, bagged, trussed up meaning the most valuable item in the house is a box cutter/scissors. Some packaging on silly items like a nail file would make you think it was the Crown Jewels, it's so hard to open.😊Oh and I flatten the boxes or fill them with other recyclables first.

Because some people are lazy bell ends.🤬

A house around the corner from us has three recycling bins, all overflowing by bin day with things like drinks cans, plastic milk bottles, cardboard boxes etc all put in whole, not squashed or flattened.

I don’t usually bother. I can easily fit everything in without flattening boxes.

Does that still bother anyone? 😊

I dont bother, if it gets mega full, I just press down with the lid to squish it down, but I just can't be arsed breaking it apart.

I suppose it's fine if it all fits in anyway, but I do get annoyed by people who don't flatten, separate food waste, wash recycling etc, then moan that the bin collection isn't often enough and that their bins are overflowing and stink.

The trade recycling bins at my work place drive me to distraction, and I end up angrily flattening all the boxes myself. Quite therapeutic but I wish the the neighbours weren't so bloody lazy.

Why bother recycling if you’re going to make the materials unusable?

We have communal recycling bins on my street and this drives me demented. The bins get full fat quicker than they need to

Yes I think there is a level of tolerance for this as it will all get compacted anyway (even in the truck). I think the recycling truck people would just refuse to take anythyng that they don’t want to. They are very strict here but do take cereal boxes etc. it’s bigger boxes they have an issue with.

Fairly sure they all get turned into a mush anyway, just like how paper is made in the first place.

It’s one of the greatest freedoms for me since leaving my husband that I no longer have someone ranting at me for not perfectly flattening boxes for recycling any more. I just squish them in. No harm done. Life is too short!

“Wet cardboard is more difficult to handle and can easily break apart, causing problems during the recycling process.

Additionally, wet cardboard can contaminate other materials in the recycling stream, making them unsuitable for recycling as well.

If the cardboard is too wet, you may need to dispose of it in the regular trash instead.”

https://www.wastemanaged.co.uk/our-news/cardboard-waste/can-you-recycle-wet-cardboard/

I don't really bother unless they are easy to fold. As long as they fit, it's not an issue. If it gets very full eg around Christmas I'll squish things down then.

Some boxes are really difficult to take apart, I don't know know why.

thought wet boxes couldn't be recycled?

"I can't be arsed" -It's such a small thing that the recycling service asks people specifically to do. We pay for recycling through our council tax, so why wouldn't we want to ensure it's done in the most effective way? What is wrong with people? Just pull the adhesive edges off and flatten the box or the tetrapak. DP doesn't consistently flatten boxes either, but then he's one of those 'won't be told' people who has to go his own way. Yawn.

Personally I find this very difficult due to disability in my hands and feet (cant step on boxes to flatten any more) but just a note about wet card, our cardboard bin is a bag and usually the top flaps open in wind and rain so it gets soaking anyway in there.

I thought the lorry squashed it all down anyway

I flatten cereal boxes etc but I find more and more boxes are designed in more complicated ways that don’t flatten easily so I often don’t bother as my bin is rarely full anyway. Had no idea you were “meant to”

I don’t flatten boxes because I can’t be bothered. Not much more too it than that really.

Some lazy people on here!

But the bin lorry compacts it?? Also when I worked at a supermarket we put cardboard boxes and trays (the ones you see tins and jars on) into a bailer and that compacts into a bale.

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