This is a tricky question to answer. This is because people see apple boxes as different things. Some will see them as boxes quite literally to carry apples. Some will see them as product packaging for Apple devices.
Apple product boxes and boxes holding apples shouldn’t be thrown away. The packages that Apple products come in can be recycled as cardboard, but the plastic inside is PVC and can’t be recycled. Apple boxes are recyclable and can be reused or pulped and turned into paper.
We will try and cover these two completely different products on this page. This way, no matter how you end up here, you will get the answers you need!
Apple Boxes
Let’s start by talking about boxes for apples. It is worth noting that a camera device is known as an apple box. These are made from wood, so the advice we give you here will apply to them.
If you head to your local supermarket, the chances are that they will have stacks of apple boxes. Many of them will allow you to take them home for free. However, eventually, you are going to need to dispose of them.
Luckily for you, most apple boxes will be made of cardboard. This means that you can recycle them easily. This is one of those products you can often leave by the curb for recycling. Although, you will need to ensure that the cardboard doesn’t get wet; otherwise, they become unrecyclable and have to be disposed of…or left for days and days to dry out properly.
Some apple boxes are made of wood. These are also recyclable. However, you will likely have to go to your local recycling center if you want to recycle those. It is unlikely that they will be picked up in your local garbage collection.
Since all boxes for apples are incredibly recyclable, you have no excuse not to be doing it!
Boxes for Apple Products
Now we can move on to talking about those boxes that came loaded with your fancy new device.
It is no secret that Apple makes some of the best product packaging on the market. They are sturdy. They are tough. They last a long time.
These boxes are so tough that we have seen people use them as product planters. This means they can last a long time with both soil and water. Of course, we are not here to discuss how rigid these boxes are. We are here to discuss whether they are recyclable.
Apple product boxes may be nice and challenging, but they are still just cardboard. This means that they can be recycled with your regular cardboard. Recycling crews will likely pick this up from the side of the road so that recycling won’t be too hard. Alternatively, you can deposit the card at a recycling center or bank.
Sadly, any plastic packaging inside the box will not be recyclable. This is because most of it will be made from PVC.
While PVC is plastic, it has been overloaded with chemicals. As a result, it cannot be put into recycling. It is too tough to separate plastic from chemicals. As a result, you will have no choice but to throw it into the garbage.
What Happens When You Recycle Wood Apple Boxes
If you have wooden apple boxes, we suggest you break them up before recycling them. If there is a small amount of adhesive on them, you can take it off. However, this isn’t necessary.
Things like wood apple boxes will be thrown into a wood chipper. They will primarily be used to make wood chips for various construction products.
In rare cases, if the wood made up of the box is fairly high quality, it can be pulped and turned into paper. However, since most wooden apple boxes are designed to be a cheap way to transport apples around, this will probably not happen all that often. Instead, it will mostly be wood chips.
What Happens When You Recycle Cardboard Apple Boxes?
The process for cardboard apple boxes will be a little bit simpler.
To begin with, the cardboard will be shredded up. This is to make everything a uniform size. Introducing a bit of uniformity into the process requires less energy during recycling.
Once everything has been shredded up, water and chemicals will be added to the mixture. This helps to separate ink, tape, and anything else on the cardboard. It will also help to purify it a little bit.
The cardboard pulp will then be pushed back into sheets, which can be used to make all different products. In most cases, your cardboard apple boxes will end up being cardboard again. In rare cases, they will end up as a paper.
Can You Put Apple Boxes in the Trash?
You can. However, we wouldn’t advise it.
We think if something can be recycled, it absolutely should be recycled. The last thing we want to do be doing is filling up landfills. Not only do landfills take up a lot of space, but they also destroy the surrounding environment.
Since this planet has a lot of use for cardboard, we are reducing the demand for new cardboard in the industry by recycling the cardboard. This means that fewer trees get cut down. It also means that there will be much less pollution pumped out.
Since, in most cases, it isn’t taken that much extra effort to recycle your apple boxes, you may as well do it. In most cases, you won’t even need to go to a recycling center. Just leave it by the side of the road (in a bag, of course!)
Conclusion
Whether you are talking about boxes for apples or Apple products, both are recyclable. Boxes for apples are typically made of cardboard and can be easily recycled with regular cardboard.
Boxes for Apple products are made of cardboard but may also include plastic packaging that is not recyclable. It’s important to note that wooden apple boxes are also recyclable and can be used to make wood chips for construction products or, in rare cases, pulped and turned into paper. Recycling apple boxes is an easy and environmentally friendly way to dispose of them.
