The Problems with Storing Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes are handy things, aren’t they? Many households are guilty of storing cardboard boxes, ‘just in case’. They stash them away in lofts, basements, cupboards, sheds or garages, and forget all about them until they need to use them again.

While this may seem a practical solution, especially if you’re living in temporary rented accommodation and move frequently, we as a skip hire company in Victoria have come up with many problems associated with storing cardboard boxes.

Overflowing with Boxes

It’s easy to build up a supply of boxes without really trying. Finding boxes to move house can be a hassle, so many people are tempted to save their old boxes once they’ve unpacked, in case of future moves.

Alternatively, you may be tempted to save boxes from new electrical items so you have the right size box if you need to move or if you’re likely to sell the product and think the original box would improve on its value. So you pop them away as well. Before you know it, you have a large collection of cardboard boxes.

While there are good reasons for keeping certain boxes for a short period of time, i.e. if your new product has a 30-day return period or you are moving within the next couple of months, it’s much safer to flatten the boxes and send them to recycling.

Fire Risk

Storing a number of cardboard boxes together, especially in a small space, can be a significant fire risk. Cardboard degrades over time and if it’s stored in a space that gets hot, such as a shed or loft in the summer, it gets very dry. By keeping your storage spaces free of cardboard boxes, you’re protecting the residents of your property against an unnecessary fire hazard.

Waste of Storage Space

While you can flatten boxes for storage, if you have a bundle of boxes tied together they still take up a large amount of space. To most people, space in their homes is a precious commodity, so why waste it by filling it up with boxes. By recycling the boxes as soon as you’ve finished with them, you’ll leave your valuable space free for the stuff you really need to keep.

Bugs and Other Nasty Critters

One of the biggest arguments against storing cardboard boxes unnecessarily is that they make an ideal environment for lots of nasty critters to live in.

Spiders are the obvious culprit. Many types of spider love to nest in dry, dark hiding places, so a bundle of cardboard boxes makes an ideal home. In addition to scaring the living daylights out of you next time you use them, by bringing them into your home without checking them carefully, you will end up with a spider infestation indoors – yuk!

And it’s not just spiders. Silverfish, certain types of roach and even bookworms love the binding that holds boxes together, so you risk either bringing a variety of creepy crawlies into your home, or ending up with boxes that fall apart anyway.

Unless you have a special reason for storing cardboard boxes, you should always flatten them and take them for recycling. It will save you space, reduce the risk of fire and help banish various nasties from your home. If you don’t have room in your recycling, you can hire a professional rubbish removal company to remove and recycle them.

Thanks to Pro Skips, a leading local skip hire company in Victoria for this guest post.