Moving house can leave you with an overwhelming amount of cardboard waste, as one traveler discovered when she found herself unable to fit all the boxes into her bin. The local council refused to collect the excess, and without a car or a valid driving licence, she was stuck.
Cardboard Overload: A Common Problem
According to waste experts at Wheeldon Brothers, this predicament is relatively widespread. A spokesperson said: "After moving house, it's completely normal to be left with dozens of cardboard boxes. The problem is that many people assume bin crews will take everything in one go, but that's often not how collections work. Most councils have limits on how much recycling they'll collect, and large amounts of cardboard can quickly exceed those limits."
The Costly Solution: Hiring a Private Collector
In the end, the woman paid £105 for a private contractor to collect the surplus cardboard, which was the cheapest quote she could find. Some firms asked up to £150 for the same service. She had to carry the boxes down four flights of stairs and leave them outside, but by the afternoon they were gone.
Expert Tips to Avoid the Hassle
For those not quite as overwhelmed, the Wheeldon Brothers spokesperson shared tips to increase the likelihood of council collection. They advised flattening all cardboard boxes and removing any polystyrene or soft plastics beforehand. "Flattening boxes isn't just about saving space in your wheelie bin. It helps maximise space in the collection vehicle too. If cardboard is left in large, bulky pieces, crews may have to leave it behind because there simply isn't enough room," they explained.
Planning ahead is equally important. "Moving house inevitably creates more waste than normal, but planning ahead makes a big difference. Flatten boxes, remove packaging materials and check your council's recycling guidance. If you've got far more cardboard than your bin can accommodate, a trip to the local recycling centre is often the quickest and easiest solution," they added.
