Lignocellulosic materials (e.g. Waste cartons) can be utilized to produce carboxymethylrncellulose, a water soluble, biodegradable anionic polymer. This study involved productionrnand optimization of carboxymethyl cellulose from waste cartons. The conversion of wasterncartons to CMC can be achieved mainly by three process steps: extraction of cellulose fromrnwaste cartons, alkalization of the extracted cellulose and etherification of the alkalirncellulose into CMC. The central composite experimental design (CCD) method involvingrnresponse surface methodology was chosen to optimize the alkalization, etherificationrnreaction and to determine the effect of three operating variables: NaOH concentration,rnamount of monochloroacetic acid and temperature (T). For the response surfacernmethodology involving CCD, a total of 20 experiments were conducted for three factors atrntwo levels with three replicates at center point. An optimization was carried out to optimizernthe alkalization and etherification reaction parameters so as to determine the best NaOHrnconcentration, sodium monochloroacetic acid dosage, and etherification temperature thatrnresulted optimum degree of substitution (DS) of the CMC. The statistical analysis showedrnthat the degree of substitution of CMC of 0.767 was obtained at optimised alkalization &rnetherification variables of 13.53%w/w NaOH conc., 0.4 w/w of monochloroacetic acid torncellulose, and 41.62Â°C etherification temperature. The value of degree of substitution ofrnCMC obtained from experiment at the optimized conditions of sodium hydroxidernconcentration of 13%, monochloroacetic acid concentration of 0.4w/w and etherificationrntemperature of 41Â°C was 0.767. It is concluded that the waste cartons can be a good sourcernof cellulose that can be modified by etherification reaction to carboxymethylcellulose with arnmedium degree of substitution of about 0.767.