There’s an old saying: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” the origin of which has been lost to time. The saying is a commentary on how there is no accounting for taste—what one person may think is worthless may be cherished by another. In the case of one type of refuse, the literal meaning of the phrase rings true—to the point of fueling organized crime in parts of the United States.
That product? Old cardboard boxes. While some people are trying to throw them out, others are stealing them before the waste haulers come by.
Cardboard boxes are recyclable. As recyclables go, they make for some of the best garbage out there. They are easy to transport because they can be baled up and thrown in the back of a truck, allowing tons of cardboard to be carted for miles without much labor or fuel costs. The recycling process itself is centered on something called a hydropulper, a moving bath of warm water that mixes the bales until the cardboard turns into an oatmeal-like paper pulp. That pulp can be turned back into boxes or other products made of corrugated fiberboard.
Because cardboard boxes have a second life, they have value even after they are emptied of their contents and sent off with the waste hauler. While municipalities and companies alike will pay such service providers to take their garbage and recyclables away, the haulers also make money by selling the bales of cardboard to recyclers. However, others are aware of cardboard’s value—approximately $100 a ton—and grab it before the haulers can. Because the waste management companies have contractually agreed to take the trash (at a price lower than they would if the recyclable cardboard were not present), taking cardboard is often considered theft.
One notable such crime spree involved three New Jersey men who, over the course of four months, made off with over 900 tons of cardboard, as reported by Metro in Philadelphia. While most cardboard runners simply steal the boxes lying on the side of the road (which is typical in larger cities) or from behind large stores like Walmart or Target, the New Jersey trio was more creative. They created a sham corporation called “Metro Paper, Inc.” and rented trucks. Then, they monitored the pickup schedules at large stores that went through a high volume of boxes. Once they had the schedule down, the men made sure they arrived before the legitimate haulers, picking up the boxes and moving on to their next target.
Seem like a waste of time—or a crime not worth the risk? According to Waste Recycling News, the group sold their treasure trove of used cardboard boxes for just north of $100,000.
What does society do with all those recycled boxes? Usually they’re turned into more boxes, as noted previously. However, Israeli inventor Izhar Gafni, a bicycling enthusiast, decided to take his hobby and turn it into a challenge. As reported by Fast Company, Gafni built a fully functional bike out of recycled cardboard boxes. The water-resistant bicycle used only $9 in materials.