What Kind of Paper Products Can Be Recycled?
Highlights
- Millions of tonnes of paper being thrown away in the UK every year.
- You can recycle a wide range of paper products, including wallpaper, stamps, greaseproof paper.
- You can’t recycle photographs, paper cups, sanitary products.
Sometimes, without even realising it, we throw card and paper items into our bins. But with millions of tonnes of paper being thrown away in the UK every year, it’s about time we got familiar with what kind of paper products can be recycled and which ones can’t. In the long run, this will help to protect precious natural resources such as trees from being used, at least more than is necessary, allowing time to replenish the planet.
This month at Woodford Recycling, we’re going to break your common paper products down into two simple categories to make things simple, with recommendations on how to best dispose of anything you can’t recycle.
Paper products you can recycle
Here are the paper items in your home or business that you can recycle. Always check that these items haven’t been contaminated and don’t contain non-recyclable additions such as foil, adhesive or metal.
- Plain paper (shredded or by the sheet)
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Greaseproof paper (if it doesn’t have silicone coating)
- Paper towels
- Wallpaper
- Wrapping paper (if it doesn’t contain foil)
- Butter wrapper (if it tears easily and isn’t metallic)
- Envelopes
- Stamps (unless they can be donated to charity)
- Telephone directories
- Tissue paper (without tape or decoration)
- Junk mail
Paper products you can’t recycle
Here are some common items you cannot recycle, with advice on how to properly dispose of or reuse them.
- Photographs – must be placed in your regular waste bin
- Used napkins and tissues – must be placed in your regular waste or compost
- Sticky paper – must be placed in your regular waste bin
- Paper cups – must be placed in your regular bin. Why not try a reusable travel cup?
- Sanitary products – must be placed in your regular bin or collected separately for commercial premises
There you have it. There are plenty of paper items you can recycle to ensure they get put back into production after being processed. If you’re still unsure what paper items you can and cannot recycle, check with your local council for more details about what they accept in household recycling collections. You can find information specific to the Cambridge area here.
You might be surprised to learn that there are lots of everyday items made of recycled paper. The following are usually made entirely of recycled paper or at least use a significant percentage of recycled materials:
- Parcel paper
- Cardboard
- Wrapping paper
- Egg boxes
- Napkins and kitchen roll
- Paper bags
- Paper plates and cartons
- Paper for your printer
- Pet bedding and litter
- Furniture items
- Building insulation
Here at Woodford Recycling, we want to help you recycle more of the materials you no longer need. That’s why we provide dedicated commercial and domestic recycling services for Cambridge, Huntingdon and Peterborough. We aim to recycle as much of your waste as possible through our skip hire and waste management services, making us the right choice for responsible waste disposal, whether it’s from your home or your business.
Call our professional team today and discuss your different recycling options with us. We’re always happy to advise you and guide you towards the most environmentally friendly service.
