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Is Shredded Paper Recyclable?

Junk is simply a buildup of unwanted items in an area. No matter how clean you might be this will always happen. It is usually common to find heaps of rubbish outside your house whenever your rubbish collection company comes to pick it.

Paper is one of the major component found in our rubbish as it is basically used in our everyday lives. This, therefore, raises a question as to what happens when you throw your waste paper in the bin. The intact waste paper is easily picked from the rest of the trash and recycled to a good quality paper. However, shredded paper is different from a paper that is intact.

Shredded paper can be categorised as mixed paper by any rubbish company. This is because it can be a combination of shredded newspaper, office paper or even cardboard which have different paper grades altogether.

Many countries do not take up recycling of shredded paper as a priority but it is absolutely possible to recycle it.

How to recycle shredded paper

In your local rubbish collection point, recyclable and non-recyclable are always separated to make it easier to differentiate. As for shredded paper, it would be tough to drop a heap of it and expect it to be separated from the rest of the rubbish.

Store it in a clear paper bag

The best form of disposing of shredded paper for recycling is to put it in a clear paper bag to prevent it from mixing with the rest of the rubbish. This enables the recycling companies to collect the different shredded papers and pile them into bales which is easier for transportation.

Sort it and recycle

Paper undergoes a very short recycling process and once it has been sorted into bales, it is mixed with water to form a pulp which is later transformed into other forms of paper such as paper towels, coffee filter or egg cartons.

The difficulty in recycling shredded paper

The paper size

Shredded paper is extremely small in size and once it is mixed with rubbish, it becomes almost impossible to hand pick every single one of them. This is the main reason why many companies just transform it into disposable rubbish to be burned.

The quality of paper fibre

Paper fibre is the main factor when it comes to making quality paper. When a paper is shredded, the length of the fibre is reduced and it becomes hard for the paper to become intact. This, therefore, results in the shredded paper being recycled into very low quality and unrecyclable paper such as toilet paper.

What more can you do with shredded paper

It is always advisable for you to reuse paper whenever possible. However, if the paper contains confidential information, you will definitely need to shred it. You can, however, use this paper in your moving activities around Sydney to pack fragile material or even use it as beddings for small animals.

Rubbish Removal Service in Sydney – Paul’s Rubbish Removal

At Paul’s Rubbish Removal, we take our customer’s needs to heart and take up any rubbish removal service very seriously. You can contact us 0407 125 125 for a free quote on any project that you plan on undertaking in Sydney and we will be there whenever you need us.

Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann is a Digital Content Writer for Paul's Rubbish Removal. Sarah is a huge advocate for recycling, environmental sustainability, health and well-being and has a genuine love for all sea animals. Keep up with Sarah by following Paul's Rubbish Removal blog!

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