OCC: what happens to a gaylord that can't be reused
OCC is old corrugated containers, the recycling grade a worn-out gaylord becomes when it cannot be reused. Wet, torn, crushed or bottomless boxes are OCC; sound boxes are not.
What OCC means
OCC stands for old corrugated containers. It is baled corrugated board sold to paper mills as fiber. In the grade system on this site it is the last stop: Recycle only, or Grade D, covers boxes that are wet, torn, crushed or missing a bottom, structurally compromised and worth their fiber, not another trip.
A high rate, and a reason to aim higher
The EPA reports that U.S. corrugated boxes had a recycling rate of 96.5 percent in 2018. That is a good number, and it is also a reason a gaylord should aim above it: a recycled box is a box that has stopped working. A dry single trip gaylord has several loads left.
Clean OCC
Clean means no food, no liquid, no hazardous residue. RecyclingWorks says cardboard contaminated with food or liquid should not be recycled. Waxed board is outside the waste ban and is a different story; see waxed and wet boxes.
Weighing a baler? Balers and compactors. Ready to ask? Recycle.
What clean means for a mill
Clean OCC is board without food, oil, plastic film or heavy contamination. A gaylord that carried dry parts and was never wet is clean. A gaylord that carried produce juice is not, however good it looks. Loose liners, banding and stretch wrap should be removed before baling. If you are not sure whether a stack counts as clean, describe what it carried and ask: the reply will say.
Why sorting at the dock helps
Separating sound boxes from worn ones at the dock, even roughly, is worth the few minutes it takes. The sound ones go on to a second life and the worn ones to the baler. A single pile of mixed boxes forces a decision about every one of them at the other end, and it is cheaper to make it where the boxes are.
Where OCC goes
Clean OCC is baled and sold to paper mills, which pulp it into new corrugated board and paperboard. The fiber can go around several times before it is too short to use. That is the end of the reuse chain, and it is a good end: a worn gaylord turns into new packaging. It is still the second choice, because reuse keeps the box intact and costs the mill nothing.
Spotting contamination
Look for grease spots, food stains, plastic tape and metal strapping. Remove what you can; set aside what you cannot.
A bale with a few contaminated boxes can be graded down, so removing them first is worth the effort.
Sources
Each read on November 11, 2026.