The Problem

Packaging plays a significant role in how materials are used and discarded, contributing to both waste management pressures and the depletion of natural resources. Cardboard is often considered a more sustainable option than plastic packaging because it is made from renewable, plant-based materials (Merchant Boxes, 2024). It can break down naturally under the right conditions and is widely collected and recycled through established systems (Merchant Boxes, 2024), reducing the need for new raw materials. However, its overall environmental footprint remains substantial.

Globally, around 405 million tonnes of paper and paperboard are produced each year (WWF, n.d.). This level of production requires large amounts of raw materials, water, and energy. Paper and paperboard account for an estimated 13–15% of total global wood consumption (WWF, n.d.). Water use is also significant, with most paper mills using 20,000 litres of water to make one tonne of paper (Esmaeeli et al.).

In Ireland, more than 1.2 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in 2023 (EPA, 2025). Paper and cardboard made up the largest share, at 483 thousand tonnes (EPA, 2025). The national recycling rate for cardboard is relatively high at 75% (EPA, 2025). However, much of this recycling occurs abroad. Across all packaging types, which include cardboard as well as plastic, glass, etc., only 18% is recycled within Ireland, mainly glass and wood (EPA, 2023). This means that cardboard is exported to be recycled, adding transport-related emissions and increasing its overall carbon footprint.

There are also limits on how many times cardboard can be recycled; the fibres break down and no longer cling together after 5-7 cycles (SL Recycling, 2023). Together, these factors underscore the limitations of recycling alone and emphasise the importance of upstream measures, such as reuse, in mitigating environmental impacts.

The Circular Solution

Re-box is a Dublin-based company that provides a circular approach to cardboard packaging by prioritising reuse over recycling. Established in 2010, the company collects used but reusable cardboard boxes from businesses in sectors such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. These include large manufacturers such as Diageo and Glenpatrick Spring.

Once collected, the boxes are sorted, cleaned, and graded to check their condition and suitability for reuse. Larger pieces of cardboard are die-cut and reshaped to create boxes in standard sizes. The refurbished boxes are sold mainly to small and medium-sized enterprises, offering a lower-cost packaging option while reducing demand for new cardboard.

By keeping cardboard in use for longer, Rebox avoids the energy and water consumption of the recycling processes. This approach reduces material loss and helps prevent waste at source, supporting circular economy principles focused on extending product lifetimes and improving resource efficiency.

Climate Impact

Re-box’s cardboard reuse model has several important environmental impacts. By keeping boxes in use for longer, it avoids many of the carbon-intensive steps required in recycling, such as transport emissions to export them, as well as pulping and manufacturing. These stages consume significant amounts of fuel, energy and water while producing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, each reused box avoids the emissions and materials needed to produce a new one, making it a more sustainable option.

Preventing boxes from becoming waste after a single use, the model reduces overall waste generation and supports circular economy goals focused on resource efficiency, waste prevention, and longer product lifetimes.

Replicability

• Duffy Box buys used cardboard boxes from manufacturing facilities for reuse, sells them at discounted prices from multiple warehouses, and provides industrial recycling services to minimise waste.​

  
  

• Rebox Corp buys and sells once-used cardboard boxes, along with new boxes, totes, pallets, and slip sheets, to optimise supply chains for suppliers and retailers across North America.​

  
  

• Usedcardboardboxes buys used totes and shipping boxes from large companies at above recycling prices, then inspects, sorts, and resells them cheaper than new boxes to reduce waste.​

  
  

• Reuseabox diverts used cardboard boxes from recycling by buying surplus from manufacturers and reselling them to businesses for storage and shipping to promote a circular economy.​

  
  

• IFCO’s reusable packaging pooling system enables the sharing of reusable packaging containers (RPCs) in a closed loop, delivering clean ones to producers, collecting used ones from retailers, and washing them for reuse up to 120 times.​

These companies facilitate cardboard and packaging reuse, extending product life cycles and reducing environmental impact through circular models.​