A Steady Flow of Boxes
Online shopping comes with returns, and each return arrives in a box. Often that box has made only one or two trips. For any business that handles returns, that adds up to a regular supply of cardboard to deal with.
Where Return Boxes End Up
Retailers and fulfillment operations generate large volumes of used boxes from returns. Many of these boxes are baled and sent to recycling, which is a reasonable outcome for corrugated cardboard. Others are in good enough shape to be sorted and used again, which depends on how they have been handled and whether anyone is set up to sort them.
The Used Box Supply Chain
Used boxes in the market generally come from businesses that receive more boxes than they ship, such as retail stores, warehouses, manufacturers, and companies that process returns. A box that has made a single trip may grade well, but that is not a given, so condition still has to be checked box by box.
Why Reuse Can Make Sense
For a business with surplus boxes, reuse can be an alternative to baling everything. For a buyer, once-used boxes can suit many non-customer-facing jobs. Whether it works out depends on condition, sizes, quantity, and location, and pricing is by quote from partner suppliers.
What You Can Do
If your business handles returns in the Portland metro area, try separating sound boxes from your recycling stream for a few weeks to see what you have. Then send a free, no-obligation quote request describing the sizes and volume, and a partner supplier will follow up.