Cardboard Pickup & Removal
Moving boxes stacked to the ceiling, a garage full of packaging, or a back room piled with shipping boxes. We pick up cardboard in any amount, straight from where it sits, and take it to recycling.
Locally owned · Free estimates · No flattening needed
Your recycling cart handles a few boxes a week. It doesn’t handle a whole move, a kitchen full of appliance boxes, or a store’s worth of shipping cartons. When the cardboard won’t fit, or you don’t want to spend an evening flattening and bundling it, we haul it.
Junk Gone does cardboard pickup and box removal in San Jose, Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Hollister and nearby cities. We load it as is, flattened or not, and clean cardboard goes to recycling. Text a photo to (408) 310-0246 for a free, flat-rate estimate.
Mention our website for up to $50 off.
Discount applies at Junk Gone’s discretion; every job is different, and the final price is confirmed after we see the items.
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Cardboard we pick up
- Moving boxes
Every box from a move in or a move out, plus the packing paper, bubble wrap and foam that came with them.
- Appliance & furniture boxes
Huge boxes from a new fridge, mattress, sectional or TV, the ones that never fit in the cart.
- Holiday & online-order boxes
The pile after the holidays or a few months of deliveries, cleared in one trip.
- Business & retail cardboard
Shipping cartons and stock boxes from stores, offices and warehouses after a big delivery, a reset or a move.
- Garage & storage boxes
Old boxes, and whatever is still inside them, from garages, attics and storage units.
- Wet or damaged cardboard
Soggy, moldy or greasy boxes too. They usually can't be recycled, so they go to disposal, but they still need to go.
Doing it yourself? Curbside cardboard rules by city
For a few extra boxes, your regular recycling pickup may be enough. Here’s what each city’s hauler asks for, from the official service guides.
- San Jose
Flatten and cut cardboard so it fits loosely in your recycling cart. If it still won't fit, cut pieces no larger than 4 by 4 feet and lean them against the cart. The city says recycling collection is unlimited.
- Gilroy
Small pieces go in the cart. Extra cardboard must be flattened, bundled, no larger than 3 by 3 feet, and set next to your recycling cart.
- Morgan Hill
Small pieces go in the cart. Extra cardboard can be flattened and stacked, no larger than 3 by 3 feet, beside the recycling cart.
- Hollister & San Benito County
Extra cardboard must be flattened and bundled, with a 3 by 3 foot size limit.
Sources: City of San José, Recology South Valley (Gilroy), Recology South Valley (Morgan Hill), Recology San Benito County. Checked October 2026. Rules change; check with your hauler before setting out a big pile.
How cardboard pickup works
- Send a photoText a picture of the pile to (408) 310-0246 and tell us where it is.
- Get a flat rateFree estimate based on how much space it takes in the trailer. Add any other junk to the same trip.
- We load it as isNo flattening, cutting or bundling. We carry it out from the garage, house or back room.
- Off to recyclingClean cardboard goes to recycling; only wet or contaminated boxes go to disposal.
Common cardboard pickups
- Moving boxes
- Appliance boxes
- Furniture boxes
- Packing paper & foam
- Holiday boxes
- Shipping boxes
- Retail stock boxes
- Office file boxes
Where we pick up cardboard:
Moving out? We take the boxes and anything else that isn’t making the move. See move-out junk removal.
Cardboard usually comes with other junk
- Furniture removal for the old couch the new one replaced
- Appliance removal for the old fridge or washer
- E-waste and TV removal
- Garage cleanouts
- How we recycle and donate
- How much junk removal costs
Cardboard pickup FAQs
Do you pick up cardboard boxes?
Yes, in any amount, from moving boxes to a garage or back room full of cartons. Text a photo to (408) 310-0246 for a free estimate.
Do I need to flatten the boxes first?
No. We load cardboard as is, flattened or not, so you can skip the cutting and bundling.
Will my recycling cart take extra cardboard?
Usually some. San José asks you to cut extra cardboard to no larger than 4 by 4 feet and lean it against the cart; Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Benito County ask for flattened bundles no larger than 3 by 3 feet. For a whole move or a big delivery, a pickup is easier.
Can you take wet or greasy cardboard?
Yes. Wet, moldy or greasy cardboard usually can't be recycled, so it goes to disposal, but we still haul it away.
Do you pick up cardboard from businesses?
Yes. We clear shipping cartons and stock boxes from stores, offices and warehouses after big deliveries, resets and moves.
What happens to the cardboard?
Clean cardboard goes to recycling. Only boxes too wet or dirty to recycle are disposed of.
How much does cardboard removal cost?
It's a flat rate based on how much there is. Text a photo to (408) 310-0246 and we'll give you a price before we start. We answer calls and texts 24/7.
Prefer a form? Request a pickup time
Calling or texting is fastest. If you’d rather fill out a form, tell us what’s going and add a photo if you can. This sends a request, not a confirmed booking. We’ll call or text to confirm the time and your price.
Ways to pay
- Zelle
- Apple Pay
- Venmo
- Cash
No payment is needed to request a time.
Buried in boxes? Send us a photo
Call or text (408) 310-0246 with a photo for a free estimate. We answer calls and texts 24/7.