How to Recycle Cardboard Boxes in New York City

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 15, 2022 References

Recycling is required by law in NYC, and luckily, the city makes it fairly easy! In apartment buildings, renters should receive clear recycling instructions from their landlord. Collect your cardboard in a paper bag or cardboard box, then drop it off at a central recycling area when it’s full. Homes, schools, institutions, and agencies should place recycling in clear bags or bins labeled with free decals, then leave it on the curb for pickup.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Curbside Recycling Program

1
Find your scheduled recycling collection day on NYC’s sanitation page. Type in the street address for your home, school, or business to find your collection day. Generally, recycling is picked up once a week for homes, businesses, and agencies. Schools may have several days of collection during the week.^{[1]
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- Find collection days by location at http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/collectionSchedule.
- You can also download the DSNY app and check your local schedule and get reminders before each collection day.
- If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can also dial 311 to call the Sanitation Department and get more details.
2
Separate your recyclables into 2 categories. Mixed paper and cardboard go together in one category, which includes egg cartons, pizza boxes, smooth cardboard (such as food and shoes boxes, tubes, file folders, and cardboard from product packaging), and corrugated cardboard boxes (like moving boxes). The second category includes glass, metal, and plastic.^{[2]
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- Mixed paper also includes newspapers, magazines, catalogues, and paper bags.^{[3]
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- You can include paper with staples or window envelopes in the mixed paper as well.^{[4]
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3
Don’t recycle boxes with food or soiled paper products inside. Check your take-out boxes and pizza boxes for any leftover food, soft or spoiled paper, wax paper, or plastic-coated paper products. Remove and dispose of all of these products before collapsing and recycling the cardboard boxes.^{[5]
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- For example, to recycle a pizza box correctly, remove the soiled liner and recycle the plastic supporter with rigid plastics.^{[6]
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4
Flatten and bundle or break up large pieces of corrugated cardboard. Collapse and fold any big boxes or sheets of corrugated cardboard, then tie it up with sturdy twine. If you don’t have twine, you can also tear or cut the cardboard into small pieces that can fit in bins and bags.^{[7]
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- Bundles of flattened cardboard, newspapers, and magazines should be no more than 18 in (46 cm) high.
- Always use twine, not tape, to secure the cardboard bundles. Twine is more easily recyclable and eco-friendly than tape.
5
Use clear bags or bins labeled with decals to put out your recycling. Clear bags let sanitation workers easily identify the contents as cardboard and mixed paper. Outdoor bins must have decals on both sides and the lid so they can be clearly identified as well. Use green stickers for cardboard and mixed paper, and blue stickers for metal, glass, and plastic.^{[8]
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- Sanitation provides these decals for free, which you can order through their website.
- If you use bins, they must be leak-proof and durable, with tightly fitting lids.^{[9]
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Put your recycling on the curb the night before your collection day. NYC’s required time period for taking out recycling is between 4 pm and midnight on the night before collection. Take your cardboard bundles, labeled bags, and bins out to the curb in front of the building and make 2 distinct piles: cardboard and mixed paper in one, and metal, glass, and plastic in another.^{[10]
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- Make sure to set all of your recycling materials on the curb, not the street.
- There’s no limit to the amount of recyclables you can put out for collection, so stack your recycling materials as high as you need to.
- Putting your recycling out days ahead of time can block the street and come across as rude, so only put it outside the night before.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Recycling in an Apartment Building

1
Ask your landlord about recycling rules and accessibility. By law, your landlord is required to provide all tenants with clear recycling instructions and an accessible central recycling area. Upon moving into the building or with each lease renewal, communicate with your landlord about updated recycling information.^{[11]
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- Your landlord should have flyers, brochures, checklists, information packets, or signs that show you what and where to recycle.
- Landlords can order recycling materials through New York City’s official website: https://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/1236/residential-recycling-stickers-signs-and-literature.
2
Collect all your cardboard in a clear bag, paper bag, or cardboard box. Keep it in a central location, such as the kitchen or next to the front door. Use it to store all the paper and cardboard or mixed paper recycling you collect.^{[12]
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3
Bring your recycling to your building’s central recycling area and sort it. Once you’ve brought your recycling to the building’s central recycling area, make sure to put your cardboard in the right bin. Follow any signage and instructions posted in the area before dropping your bag or box of recycling materials into the directed bin.^{[13]
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- Generally, recycling areas will be located with the trash disposal area. If it's not, the landlord needs to post signs in the trash disposal area directing tenants to the recycling area.