Hazmat and dangerous goods
Shipping hazardous waste or dangerous goods in bulk boxes is tightly regulated. A UN-rated corrugated hazmat gaylord is made and certified for that use. A used box is not UN-rated unless certified. A box that was not certified does not become so by being clean or by looking like one. See the UN-rated page.
If your material is regulated, the rules for your material decide the packaging. We cannot tell you what they are. We can tell you what a used box is: a corrugated box with a history, graded for strength and condition, not certified for dangerous goods.
Food
We do not sell used gaylords as food-grade. A box that has held something before carries that history: dust, residue, odor, moisture. A new box from a food-rated supply chain, or a liner and a barrier, is the way to protect food. Used boxes can serve around food, for example as outer containers for produce that sits in its own tray or liner, if your own food-safety rules allow it.
For produce in bins at harvest, see produce bins. For liners, see lids and liners. Whether a given use is acceptable is for your food-safety plan, not ours.
A decision table
| Load | Used box? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous goods | No, unless certified | UN rating belongs to a certified box |
| Hazardous waste | No, unless certified | Tightly regulated |
| Food in direct contact | We do not sell used for this | History of the box |
| Produce in a liner or tray | Ask; follow your food-safety rules | Barrier between food and board |
| Resin and regrind | Yes, with a liner | Non-regulated; keep dry |
| Parts, scrap, film | Yes | Grade A to C by use |
If you are not sure
Ask the person who signs your shipping papers or your food-safety plan before you ask us for a box. Then send the request with what the load is. If it turns out to be regulated, we say so and point you to a certified box maker. See the grade sheet and used vs new.
Can a used gaylord carry food?
Can a clean used gaylord carry hazmat?
Facts and figures
- Corrugated boxes lose approximately 50% of their compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50% to 90%, per industry guidance such as the Fibre Box Handbook. (paperindex.com, retrieved 2026-11-11.)
- Moving corrugated between temperature zones can cause internal condensation or moisture migration that further weakens the board (AICC). (now.aiccbox.org, retrieved 2026-11-11.)
- US corrugated boxes had a recycling rate of 96.5 percent in 2018. (epa.gov, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
Terms
- poly liner: A plastic bag liner that keeps resin, powder or food from touching the board.
- single trip: Used once, the common description for top-grade used gaylords.
- OCC: Old corrugated containers, the recycling grade a box becomes when it can't be reused.
Words that appear on a safety data sheet
A product's safety data sheet names its hazards, its handling and its transport class, and a carrier will ask for it before moving a regulated load. If you do not have the sheet, ask your supplier before you choose a box.