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Can I put cardboard boxes in a trash compactor?

Asked by Anonymous Oct 02, 2026 5 views 2 answers
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2 Answers
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Administrator Accepted
Answered Oct 05, 2026
You can place lightweight cardboard boxes in a trash compactor only if they are flattened, torn into smaller pieces, or made of very thin paperboard like cereal boxes. Thick, heavy-duty corrugated cardboard boxes should never be put into a residential trash compactor because their rigid structural fluting resists crushing, can jam the mechanical ram, and frequently punctures or tears heavy-duty compactor bags. Breaking down cardboard boxes and placing them into municipal recycling bins is always the recommended disposal method.
1 votes Marked as accepted
1
Administrator Accepted
Answered Oct 05, 2026
Yes, you can put cardboard boxes in a residential trash compactor, provided they are flattened or broken down into manageable pieces first. While compactors easily crush corrugated cardboard to reduce household packaging bulk, stuffing rigid, unflattened, thick boxes into the unit can jam the mechanical crushing ram, overload the electric motor, or create awkward gaps that prevent proper compression of surrounding household trash bags.
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