Upcycling & Recycling Cardboard Boxes

Upcycling & Recycling Cardboard Boxes

Corrugated cardboard is widely available, low cost and versatile. Both lightweight and strong, it can be modelled into all manner of shapes and items. With a flat, paper-based surface, it is easy to print. These properties make it ideal for protective, branded packaging. With a little imagination, cardboard boxes can be upcycled into a wide range of items.

Cardboard Creations

Search the internet for ‘cardboard creations’ and you will see a wonderous display of projects, YouTube videos and inspiration for what is possible. With the rise in online shopping, we all have access to cardboard boxes and they can be ideal for constructing toys, costumes and furniture, to name but a few ideas.

If you already feel excited about the prospect of making, there’s a book called ‘Cardboard Creations for Kids’, written by Kathryn Ho (ISBN-13:9781645674627) which could kickstart your designs.

Aylesbury Box Company regularly donates cardboard boxes to a couple of local drama groups. Their stage teams transform them into a wide range of props and scenery – it’s quite amazing to see the results!

Packaging Designed for Upcycling

Some brands actively encourage customers to upcycle their cardboard packaging; an example is Samsung. Their Serif and Sero TV packaging included a QR code that provided instructions on how to transform the robust, protective boxes into cat beds and magazine racks. Perforations in the boxes made it easier for customers to cut and assemble accurately.

We all know that cats love a cardboard box, so this idea was welcomed by cat owners and their pets!

Our team have also seen shirt packaging which has a hanger template printed on the inside of the box. Cut out the shape and you can immediately hang up your shirt! In fact, cardboard coat hangers are simple to make and are a sustainable alternative to plastic.

Could your company use a printed template to encourage your customers to upcycle their packaging into a useful or fun object? Aylesbury Box Company would love to help you produce reusable boxes. Get in touch on 01296 436888 or enquiries@abcbox.co.uk to discuss your concept!

Boxes for Moving House

One time when we accumulate a high volume of cardboard boxes is when relocating. It can take weeks to unpack, but even when flattened, the boxes take up a lot of space. You want to optimise the space in your new home, not have it cluttered. Removals & Storage Experts offers suggestions of how to clear the space by recycling, donating, selling or reusing moving boxes.

Cardboard Art

As mentioned above, the flat surface of cardboard makes it ideal for printing. This also means it is great for painting. An increasing number of artists are using cardboard as a cheap and accessible canvas for their art. Others enjoy the textures that can be created from corrugated cardboard.

Check out work by cardboard artists including Reem Altwaid, James Lake, Sanjay Dhawan and Laurence Vallieres to see a range of different styles and uses of this everyday material.

Recycling Cardboard

If you are creating 3D pieces for your cardboard creation, use paper tape as an adhesive. This will ensure that it, along with all off-cuts, can be discarded in the recycling bin when it is no longer in use. For paints, water-based can go in the recycling but use the waste bin if you paint in oils.

When collected for recycling, corrugated cardboard will be processed at high temperatures to separate the fibres. These are then reformed into paper and card, which are used in the manufacture of new boxes and the cycle continues.

If you are storing boxes without a plan for their use, free the space and put them out for collection. This is a valuable resource that can be reused for packaging, deliveries and more!