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- Apr 30, 2005
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In the 1970s, one of my first jobs as a teenager was ripper.
What pray-tell is a ripper, you ask.
Well, it's not a serial killer and my name wasn't Jack.
I ripped up cardboard boxes at a supermarket (large foodstore).
The rippers and stocking clerks arrived at closing time.
The clerks (who made triple our pay
) filled the shelves with new food and faced the shelves.
They just left all the boxes piled high in the aisles for the rippers.
After ripping we put all the flat cardboard in a huge machine that looked like it could crush an old junked car.
We finished just before opening time.
Needless to say that was before I was buying Fancy Colored Diamonds.
Anyway, after a week or two I got really good at ripping boxes into small flat sheets.
I also got faster, yet stopped getting paper cuts from the cardboard.
Actually it's surprising how complex the not-so-mundane task can be; I'll just leave it at that.
Instinctively I still use those techniques today to reduce the volume of the box mess in our house and make more space in our recycling bin.
Instead of writing a novel on the many "professional"
techniques of box ripping, here's a link with a simple 4-step process that has earned KSA, the Kenny Seal of Approval.
... though my techniques do not require a utility knife/razor/box cutter - just two bare hands.
www.roadrunnerwm.com
What pray-tell is a ripper, you ask.
Well, it's not a serial killer and my name wasn't Jack.
I ripped up cardboard boxes at a supermarket (large foodstore).
The rippers and stocking clerks arrived at closing time.
The clerks (who made triple our pay

They just left all the boxes piled high in the aisles for the rippers.
After ripping we put all the flat cardboard in a huge machine that looked like it could crush an old junked car.
We finished just before opening time.
Needless to say that was before I was buying Fancy Colored Diamonds.
Anyway, after a week or two I got really good at ripping boxes into small flat sheets.
I also got faster, yet stopped getting paper cuts from the cardboard.
Actually it's surprising how complex the not-so-mundane task can be; I'll just leave it at that.
Instinctively I still use those techniques today to reduce the volume of the box mess in our house and make more space in our recycling bin.
Instead of writing a novel on the many "professional"

... though my techniques do not require a utility knife/razor/box cutter - just two bare hands.

Why It's Important To Break Down Cardboard Waste
Breaking down your cardboard is more important than you think! We’ve assembled a helpful resource that details why ‘breaking it down’ is important and the best practices for doing so.

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