You can recycle shredded paper, but only if it's contained in a paper bag, cardboard box, or large envelope; loose shreds are too small and jam machinery, usually ending up in the landfill, though they are great for composting or animal bedding. Always check your local council's guidelines, as some might accept it in a bag, while others direct it to general waste or special drop-off centers.
Keep reading to discover what you can do with your shredded paper.
Small amounts of shredded paper can be placed in your blue recycling bag. We recommend containing this in a paper bag or envelope. Large amount of shredded paper can be put in your brown bin or home composter.
In Australia, you generally can't put loose shredded paper in your yellow-lidded recycling bin as it's too small and contaminates the stream; instead, use it in your green FOGO/compost bin, put it in a paper bag or envelope before the yellow bin (check local rules!), use it as pet bedding or garden mulch, or dispose of it in the red landfill bin if other options aren't available.
Shredded paper is compostable as long as it's not colored or glossy. If you are adding a lot of shredded paper to your home compost pile, add some grass to lower the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Shredding a piece of paper shortens its fibers, which limits its recycling potential and reduces its value.
Guidance. There are two ways to recycle shredded paper: You can put it in a paper envelope and then put it in with your household recycling. This is so that it doesn't blow around everywhere when picked up or go everywhere in the recycling facility.
While not accepted curbside, shredded paper can be placed in a plastic bag and dropped off directly to the Recycle Center.
Shredded paper can be placed in a CLEAR plastic bag for recycling. Make sure only to place shredded paper in the bag. This is the only time plastic bags should be used for recycling. Shredded paper should not be placed loose in your recycling bin as it can contaminate the load of recyclables.
There are many, many uses for shredded paper.
is Shredded paper compostable? Not only is it possible to compost shredded paper, but it's a great addition to the compost process! Because it is already cut into small pieces, shredded paper has an aerated structure that helps to give compost the oxygen it needs to break all the materials down.
1) Adaptability for diverse packaging styles
In gift boxes, shredded paper makes an attractive filler around the contents, filling empty spaces and cradling items to prevent shifting and damage in transit and during handling.
Wrapping paper can be recycled if it is free of non-paper additives such as glitter, plastic, or foil. Test wrapping papers' recyclability with “The Scrunch Test.” If you can scrunch wrapping paper into a ball and it stays together, it can be recycled.
Shredding services can consume large amounts of energy. Strip-cut and cross-cut shredders require electricity, contributing to high energy consumption and increased carbon emissions. Fortunately, new technologies and practices offer eco-friendly shredding solutions.
The best way to use paper is by adding it to your compost pile. Shredding the paper beforehand will help it break down much faster. Shredded paper is a carbon-rich material, or brown ingredient. Ideally, you should have 25 or 30 times as much brown material as green material in your compost bin.
In Australia, you generally can't put loose shredded paper in your yellow-lidded recycling bin as it's too small and contaminates the stream; instead, use it in your green FOGO/compost bin, put it in a paper bag or envelope before the yellow bin (check local rules!), use it as pet bedding or garden mulch, or dispose of it in the red landfill bin if other options aren't available.
You can't easily recycle shredded paper in regular bins because the small pieces fall through sorting machinery, get lost, contaminate other recyclables, or become litter, but it is recyclable if contained in a sealed paper bag or box for specialized collection programs or drop-off, as the fibers are valuable but need specific handling to prevent jamming and loss at facilities.
Paper cartons are compostable!
If you have a home compost, rip up your paper egg carton into small pieces and add it in! These cartons are made from paperboard, which works as a “brown”, carbon material to help the pile break down more quickly.
Paper towel and toilet paper rolls can be recycled or composted.
Surprising items you shouldn't put in your curbside recycling include plastic bags, shredded paper, Styrofoam, greasy pizza boxes, coffee cups with plastic lining, batteries, clothes hangers, and ceramics/Pyrex, as they contaminate batches or jam machinery. Soft plastics, soiled paper, and small items like bottle caps are also common culprits that belong in the trash or special drop-offs, not the regular bin.
Don't:
Ways to reuse shredded paper
Paper shredders increase security risks. You shred your documents to prevent identity theft and maintain the confidentiality of your information. But your paper shredding machine doesn't offer the most secure method for completely destroying confidential information.
The reason being, most of us don't have a recycling bin in our bathrooms. Things like shampoo, body wash, toilet paper rolls and toothpaste tubes are all recyclable and should be place in your recycling bin.
For paper to decompose it takes between two and six weeks. This is relatively quick compared to other materials, but it can be two to five months before the paper completely disappears if it's disposed of in landfill.
plastic packaging bottles, bottle tops, pots, tubs, trays, clean flexible plant pots, carrier bags, bread bags, cling film and bubble wrap. glass bottles and jars (including broken glass bottles and jars) paper and card (except shredded paper, which can go in the garden bin)