Cardboard recycling: boxes, tubes and what to remove

Cereal boxes, delivery boxes, card envelopes and toilet roll tubes can all be recycled, says Recycle Now.

• UK

Key facts

• Take tape, polystyrene and plastic inserts out of corrugated boxes.
• Greetings cards are fine once glitter parts and batteries are removed. Glitter covered cards are not.
• Card with food, dirt or paint on it cannot be recycled.
• Toilet and kitchen roll tubes can also go in a home compost bin.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Based on Recycle Now's own pages.

Accepted items

• Cereal and egg boxes
• Delivery boxes and card envelopes
• Corrugated cardboard
• Toilet and kitchen roll tubes

Restrictions

• Card with food, dirt, paint or glitter cannot be recycled.

Related item guides

• Cardboard

Other kinds of place

• Tips near you: household waste recycling centres
• Recycling banks and bring sites near you
• Clothes donation bins and clothes banks near you
• Bottle banks near you for glass bottles and jars

Schemes and collection services

• Recycle Now locator
• Recycle Now: aerosols
• Recycle Now: foil
• Recycle Now: food and drink cartons
• Recycle Now: food tins and drink cans
• Recycle Now: paper