Old Town, Maine Paper Mill Needs Your Old Pizza Boxes

Considering all of the economic craziness we have seen over the last few years, this really should not come as much of a surprise.  Since March of 2020, we have seen the price of almost every product increase - some by a little, many by A LOT.  On top of that, we have seen shortages of many products, even basic raw materials.

A paper manufacturing company that has locations in Maine has found a unique way to deal with a shortage of raw materials.

According to the Bangor Daily News, NB Paper, which has facilities in Old Town and Rumford, has started asking the residents of Old Town and surrounding towns to donate their old pizza and cereal boxes.

Through a proprietary process, the company is able to turn thicker and corrugated cardboard into pulp. That pulp can then be turned into paper.

The company's mills typically use OCC (old corrugated cardboard) to create the pulp that becomes paper.  In the past, they have payed for the OCC.  However, just like nearly everything these days, the cardboard has become quite difficult to obtain and, of course, the price has gone up, too.

Who knows, that greasy box that once held your peperoni, sausage, and green peppers pizza could one day become the paper that the canvas for a child's masterpiece, page page on which a college kid's thesis statement is written, or the menu at your favorite pizzeria.

In addition to properties in Maine, the company also owns facilities in Wisconsin and West Virginia.