As the value of waste cardboard has dropped dramatically in recent months, companies are scrambling to find an alternative revenue source as they try to limit their losses. There is a solution from UK company Sadlers that offers both financial and environmental benefits. They work with large producers of once-used boxes to divert the waste material to the reuse market. The Sadlers Cardboard Box Reuse Scheme, the biggest and most successful scheme of its kind in the UK, offers higher rates than paper mills and fixed rates for the long term, meaning that global fluctuations in price have no impact on the value of reusable cardboard boxes if they are suitable for the scheme.
Mike Sadler, Managing Director of Sadlers says, “The market for second hand boxes is thriving and reuse offers environmental benefits at a time when supply chain sustainability is at the forefront of the consumer’s mind.”
Sadlers was established in 1952, originally trading in used tea chests and wartime ammunition boxes. Since switching to cardboard they have diverted millions of boxes to the reuse market, working with waste suppliers to ensure the process of segregation and collection is a more efficient. In uncertain times for global waste, reuse schemes such as this one offer a chance for homegrown companies to lead the way in providing sustainable solutions.
