Guess what! Not all paper can be recycled!

 

Pizza Boxes and Used Paper Towels and Plates

Many people assume that pizza boxes are recyclable. Most boxes have recycling symbols on them and are traditionally made from corrugated cardboard. They are, in and of themselves, recyclable. However, what makes parts of them non-recyclable is the hot, tasty treat that comes inside — or, more specifically, the grease and cheese from pizza that soil the cardboard.

Food is one of the worst contaminants in the paper recycling process. Grease and oil are not as big of a problem for plastic, metal, and glass, as those materials are recycled using a heat process.

But when paper products are recycled, they are mixed with water and turned into a slurry. Since we all know water and oil don’t mix, the issue is clear. Grease from pizza boxes causes oil to form at the top of the slurry, and paper fibers cannot separate from oils during the pulping process. Essentially, this contaminant causes the entire batch to be ruined. This is the reason that other food-related items are non-recyclable (used paper plates, used napkins, used paper towels, etc.).

Shredded Paper

When you shred paper with a paper shredder, you dramatically decrease the value of the paper because you shorten the length of the paper fiber, which is the source of value of the paper

Shredded paper has a lower value to recyclers because of its shortened fibre length. Photo: Flickr/Peat Bakke

Nice white computer paper has a long, strong fibre, and every time you recycle that paper, the fibre gets shorter. If done properly, that computer paper can be recycled six to eight times.

However, if you shred that same crisp computer paper, you’re lucky if it can even be recycled once. Commonly, paper mills won’t accept shredded paper because of the difficulties it creates during the sorting process.

If you have a document that is semi-confidential, rip it by hand three or four times, then throw it into the recycling bin. For documents that absolutely require shredding, locate a resource in your area that specifically handles shredded paper for recycling.

Brightly Colored Paper

Believe it or not, bright paper can stop a whole batch of paper from being recycled. The idea behind this one is simple. “It’s like the red-sock-in-the-white-load syndrome,”  If you need to buy colored paper, avoid really rich colors and opt for pastels. Paper mills can usually handle the lighter tones.

Paper Coffee Cups

Currently, only a few places accept paper coffee cups (also called hot cups) for recycling. The thin polyethylene plastic coating on the cups that helps prevent liquid leaking makes it difficult for most processing services to recycle the cups.