Cardboard boxes must be flattened and free of contaminants before being recycled. Small amounts of tape are permitted. Waxed cardboard should be disposed as garbage.

Six or fewer boxes/pieces

Flatten boxes and place them next to your public (or centralized) recycling and waste bins for collection by Custodial Services. Small volumes/pieces may be placed in a recycling bin.

cardboard flattened

Seven or more boxes/pieces

Choose one of the following.

Option 1: Flatten and place in your building’s Cardboard Only dumpster at the loading dock.

Option 2: Request pickup by emailing recycle@uw.edu. Note: there is a charge for this service.

Waste reduction tips

  • Use re-usable crates for storage and transport.
  • Explore available vendors to see who uses the least amount of packaging.
  • When ordering, see if vendors can minimize their use of cardboard.
  • Consider buying used goods from UW Surplus that don’t need packaging.