A free cardboard and paper drop-off service has opened at Opal Paper & Recycling’s Botany Mill in Matraville, giving local residents, schools and businesses an easy way to recycle used cardboard packaging and paper.
The initiative comes as NSW continues to generate significant volumes of waste each year.
According to the NSW Environment Protection Authority, the state generated around 22.4 million tonnes of waste in 2024–25, reflecting the scale of material flowing through households, businesses and industry every year.
Robert Carry, group general manager at Opal Paper & Recycling Botany Mill, said the program is designed to provide the community with a free cardboard recycling option delivered straight to one of Australia’s largest recyclers.
“We’re really happy to be bringing this service to the local community. Cardboard and paper are part of everyday life – whether that’s online shopping deliveries, moving house, or just running a business – but knowing how and where to recycle it properly isn’t always easy,” he said.
“That's exactly the problem this service is designed to solve. We know people want to do the right thing, but without a convenient option for larger volumes of cardboard and paper, too much recyclable material ends up in landfill.
“By making recycling easier and more accessible, we're helping more of these materials support a circular economy for cardboard, where they can be recovered and turned into new paper and cardboard packaging products, rather than going to landfill.”
The free drop-off service accepts:
- Clean, flattened cardboard
- Clean paper and paper-based packaging
It’s open to households, schools and local businesses, particularly those generating higher volumes of cardboard through deliveries, operations or seasonal clean-ups.
All materials must be clean, dry and free from contamination, plastic or general waste.
“Keeping the material clean is essential to ensuring it can be turned back into high-quality recycled paper for packaging,” Carry explained. “When cardboard and paper are clean, they’re most effective in the recycling process.”
Once collected, the material is taken to the Botany Mill, where it’s processed into 100 per cent recycled paper, which can then be used to manufacture new cardboard packaging – creating a loop where materials stay in use longer.
“This connection between community drop-off and manufacturing is what makes the initiative powerful,” Carry said.
“What people drop off here goes back into making new recycled paper and cardboard packaging. So, a box from your doorstep today can become part of a new box in the future.”
The drop-off point is open 24/7 at 1891 Botany Road, Matraville.
