TIMES RECORD • February 16, 2021
Since the COVID-19 problems started, people have been buying more of their needs online. That has meant an ever-increasing need for cardboard boxes. Those can become a big problem if they are just dumped, but it can be seen as a plus when we recycle. The corrugated packaging industry has become dependent on consumers to recycle the products to support its financial and environmental needs. The much-increased demand for cardboard cartons translates into a much-increased demand for recycled paper as well. Cardboard is more biodegradable than plastic packaging, but its production is linked to deforestation and heavy chemical use by paperboard mills. To combat that the industry relies on recycling virgin fiber five to seven times, saving trees and improving the bottom line. ~ Harry Hopcroft, Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee