From televisions to toothpaste, nearly everything we order online arrives in a cardboard box. And we order a lot: in the first quarter of 2026, e-commerce made up 16.9 percent of all U.S. retail sales, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For many Dallas-area households and businesses, that means a steady stream of boxes piling up in the garage, the storeroom and the recycling bin.
The good news is that cardboard is one of the most recycled materials in the country. The American Forest & Paper Association reports that 70% to 75% of the cardboard available for recovery was recycled in the United States in 2025—more than 33 million tons. Online shopping has changed what recycling looks like, too. At one San Francisco recycling facility, the incoming paper stream literally changed color as boxes took over.
“It used to be grayish, like the color of newspapers and magazines. … And now it’s more brown or cardboard in color, from all these boxes.”
At Texas Recycling, we are all about the “3 Rs”—reduce, reuse and recycle. Recycling a box is far better than sending it to the landfill, but giving it a second job first is even better. Here are some creative, practical ways to reuse cardboard boxes before they head to cardboard recycling in Dallas.
| Cardboard boxes can catch car fluid leaks, smother weeds in garden beds, feed a compost pile, protect floors during painting and cover a broken window until it is repaired. When a box has done its second job, keep it clean and dry, flatten it and recycle it at a recycling center like Texas Recycling in Dallas. |
How Can Cardboard Keep Car Fluids Off Your Driveway?
If you have ever tried to scrub a fluid stain off a driveway or garage floor, you know it is nearly impossible. Instead of living with the eyesore, keep it from happening in the first place. Slide a flattened cardboard box under the engine compartment to catch drips before they reach the concrete.
The cardboard doubles as a diagnostic tool, because the color of the spot hints at what is leaking. According to AAA, coolant is typically green, yellow or pink; transmission fluid and power steering fluid are usually red; motor oil starts amber and turns brown or black with age; and brake fluid ranges from clear to light brown. Take a photo of the spot to show your mechanic. Once the cardboard is soaked with oil or other fluids, put it in the trash, not the recycling bin.
Texas Recycling: Our Dallas Recycling Center Helps Your Business with Revenue by Recycling. Call 214-357-0262
How Do You Use Cardboard to Stop Weeds in a Garden?
Used cardboard boxes are an inexpensive alternative to landscape fabric or extra store-bought mulch for keeping weeds out of flower beds. The method, often called sheet mulching, blocks sunlight so unwanted plants cannot grow. A sheet mulching guide from Texas A&M recommends these basic steps:
- Mow or trim the area as low as possible and water it well.
- Remove plastic tape and staples, then soak the cardboard.
- Overlap the pieces so weeds cannot find a gap.
- Top the cardboard with 2 to 4 inches of mulch, adding a layer of compost if you like.
Over time, the cardboard breaks down. As it does, earthworms, microorganisms and fungi cycle nutrients back into the soil, improving its structure for healthier flowers and ornamental plants.
Can You Compost Cardboard?
Yes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists shredded cardboard with no wax coating, tape or glue as a carbon-rich “brown” for backyard compost. The EPA recommends about two to three parts browns to one part nitrogen-rich “greens,” such as fruit and vegetable scraps and coffee grounds. Tear or shred boxes into small pieces so they break down faster.
How Can Cardboard Help After a North Texas Storm?
The DFW Metroplex is no stranger to hail and violent windstorms. From 2016 through 2018, Texas led the nation in hail loss claims, with 811,381, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. After a major storm, roofers and glass companies can be booked for days or even weeks.
Having a few flattened boxes on hand can buy you time. Window Nation lists cardboard among the quick, temporary fixes for a broken window. Put on thick gloves and eye protection, carefully clear away loose glass, then tape a piece of cardboard over the opening to keep out wind and rain. For extra water resistance, wrap the cardboard in a plastic bag first. Roof damage is a different story. Do not climb onto a damaged roof yourself. Call a roofing contractor, who can tarp it safely until a permanent repair can be made.
Texas Recycling: A Dallas Recycling Center for Metal, Paper, Cardboard Recycling and More! Call us for the best prices: 214-357-0262
Is Cardboard Better Than a Drop Cloth for Painting?
Few things can change the look and feel of a room like a fresh coat of paint. And few things are as frustrating as trying to clean paint splatters out of carpet. The next time you tackle a painting job, lay down flattened cardboard to protect flooring and furniture. Corrugated cardboard (the kind used to make most shipping boxes) is sturdy, lies flat and is easy to cut to fit around baseboards and furniture legs. The money you save on drop cloths can come in handy if you find you really need five gallons of paint instead of four. When the job is done, keep paint-covered pieces out of your recycling bin.
These are just a few ways to reuse cardboard boxes at home. Sturdy boxes are also perfect for moving, storing seasonal décor and organizing closets and garages. And we did not even mention the hours of fun young children can have transforming larger boxes into castles, rocket ships, forts and countless other things their creative minds can dream up!
How Do You Properly Recycle Cardboard?
When your boxes have served their second purpose, recycle them the right way. Not all cardboard can go in the bin. For example, the City of Dallas Recycle Right guide says the clean top of a pizza box is recyclable, but the greasy bottom half is not.
| At a Glance: Can This Cardboard Be Recycled? • Yes — Clean, dry shipping boxes, cereal and shoe boxes, and the clean top of a pizza box. Tape and shipping labels can usually stay on. • No — Greasy or food-soiled pieces, wax-coated boxes, and cardboard soaked with water, oil or paint. |
Before you recycle, pull out any plastic bags, foam and packing pillows. Then flatten your boxes and bundle them together to make them easier to transport and handle. Store them somewhere dry until it is time to drop them off.
“Nearly half of all recycled paper in 2025 went into container board, the material used to make cardboard boxes.”
Where Can You Recycle Cardboard in Dallas?
Texas Recycling makes it easy to recycle cardboard in Dallas, especially if you have a warehouse that fills a dumpster every week:
- Bring it to our Public Buy-Back Center. Bring it by the truckloads to Texas Recycling at 1420 S. Barry Ave., Dallas 75223. Our Buy-Back Center buys loose and baled cardboard (including cereal and shoe boxes and clean pizza-box tops), along with paper and aluminum and tin cans. Our staff will weigh your materials and pay you. Please check our current hours or call 214-357-0262 before you head over.
- Set up a business recycling program. Our corrugated recycling plant buys old corrugated cardboard (OCC), loose or baled boxes, gaylords, chipboard, box board and kraft paper from commercial and industrial customers. For steady volume, we will build a custom program with the right collection containers and a pickup schedule for qualifying businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Creative Uses for Cardboard and Cardboard Recycling in Dallas
Give Your Cardboard a Second Life—or Recycle It With Texas Recycling
Texas Recycling is one of the leading multi-material recycling companies in North Texas, processing thousands of tons of recyclable paper, cardboard, newspaper and metal at our 200,000-square-foot Dallas facility. Whether you have a garage stacked full of moving boxes or a business that generates cardboard every day, we can create a cardboard recycling program that fits your needs and budget. Visit our paper recycling and corrugated recycling pages, or call Texas Recycling at 214-357-0262 for current pricing.
Texas Recycling creates customized recycling programs for industrial organizations. Learn more about our Commercial Recycling Services, Industrial Recycling Solutions, and the recyclable materials we accept. Call 214-357-0262 today to learn more. Or get started on a commercial recycling or industrial recycling program for your Dallas-area business.