Which gaylords go to the baler
Wet, torn, crushed and bottomless gaylords go to the baler; dry ones with intact flaps and bottom do not, and the sort takes about a minute per box.
The one-minute sort
You do not need training to sort a gaylord. Pick it up or walk around it and run five checks. Press the wall: is it firm, or does it give? Look at the bottom: is it whole? Run a hand along the creases: are they clean folds or splits? Look at the base for dark patches. Smell it.
If it passes all five it is reusable. If it fails any one of the first three, it is recycle only. Dark patches and a damp smell usually mean it was wet at some point, and the strength that went out of the board does not come back when it dries.
The checklist
| Check | Pass | Fail means |
|---|---|---|
| Press the wall | Firm | Soft board: recycle |
| Look at the bottom | Flaps whole | Torn or missing: recycle |
| Run along the creases | Clean folds | Splits: recycle |
| Check the base | Dry, light color | Dark patches: likely recycle |
| Smell it | Neutral | Musty: likely recycle |
This is the same logic as the five grades on the grades guide: the last grade, recycle only, is what fails these checks.
Humidity does the damage
Most wet boxes were not rained on. They were stored in damp air. Corrugated boxes lose roughly half their compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent, and boxes stored under load in humid conditions can lose nearly 45 percent after 90 days. AICC also notes that moving boxes between temperature zones can cause internal condensation that weakens the board further.
A pile stacked at the back of an unheated dock is a pile that went from usable to OCC while nobody was looking. That is why we ask where a stack sits.
Before the baler takes it
- Remove liners, plastic, tape clumps where you can and metal strapping.
- Flatten the boxes.
- Keep OCC dry until pickup; wet OCC weighs more and is worth less.
- If you are not sure, set the box aside and send us a photo.
See pickup for the request, and single-trip empties for the boxes you should not send there.
What to do with the pieces that are not paper
- Metal bands and clips go to scrap, not the bale.
- Plastic liners go in a plastic bin or the trash.
- Wooden pallets get reused or collected separately.
- Foam inserts and tape clumps come out.
- Labels with plastic backing can stay if they are small; large ones should come off.
A clean pile is worth more than a mixed one. It takes ten minutes per pallet to strip it.
Gray areas, and how we call them
| Box | Our call | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Dry but badly creased | Grade C, one-way use | Strength is down but the shape holds |
| Taped repair on one wall | Grade C | The repair is the weak point |
| Single tear at a top corner | Often Grade C | Top edge carries little |
| Water line near the base | Recycle | The base carries the load |
| Sound but shrink-wrap stuck on | Resell after peeling | Plastic can come off |
When we are unsure we ask for a photo. We would rather bale one borderline box than sell a failure.
Questions people ask
Can a dry-out save a wet box?
No. The board does not regain its strength.
Is a box with a small tear recycle only?
A torn wall usually is; a small corner tear on a heavy box may be Grade C.
Where do the liners go?
In the trash or to a plastics recycler. Not in the bale.
Sources
- Corrugated and humidity, Paper Index academy, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- AICC: corrugated and cold or humid storage, last reviewed November 11, 2026