Why We Don't Collect Shredded Paper in the Blue Top Recycling Bin

Shredded paper has been a feature of office waste for many years. It is now more common in the household waste stream as people have become concerned about identity theft.

What’s the problem with shredded paper?

Most shredded paper is of a high grade and could be recycled. The problem is the paper strips are too small and light to be separated during sorting at our Material Recovery Facility. This is the large plant where the recyclables are sorted and sent for re-processing. Paper goes to a paper mill, aluminium cans to a smelting facility and so on.

Shredded paper gets lost or blown around the sorting plant, and gets trapped in machinery where it can be a fire hazard.

Why has the system been set up this way?

Kerbside recycling has been set up to make recycling easy. Householders are asked to place paper, card, tins, cans, plastic bottles and aerosols loosely in just one bin.

Making recycling easy means that more people take part and we get much more material for recycling.  Most sorting is done automatically using conveyor belts to move material around. Small pieces of paper (for example till receipts) and shredded paper are too small and light to be picked up by the equipment we use. They either pass thorough the system and are disposed of; or are blown around and get stuck in machinery, where they are a fire hazard.

Are you doing anything to change the system?

We keep up to date with developments in technology and will consider any practical changes. At the moment it would not be economical to change the system to deal with shredded paper

What’s the smallest sized paper I should put in my recycling bin?

Most pieces of paper or card size A5 should be picked up without problem.  Beyond this, the smaller the paper, the lower the chance that it will make it through the system to be recycled 

What can I do with shredded paper?

There are at least five things that you can do with shredded paper:

• Use as protective packing in boxes if moving house or storing fragile items.
• It can sometimes be used as animal bedding - but first check it is suitable for your pet.
• Compost it at home along with kitchen peelings or garden waste in a compost heap or compost bin.  You can avoid it being blown around if it is damped down or mixed with wet material. Shredded paper cannot be collected by the Council's kerbside Garden Waste Collection Service.
• Shredded paper can be placed in paper banks. The system for processing paper from paper banks is different and there is less chance that the paper will be lost.
• Place it in your ordinary rubbish bin. Most household waste in Hampshire that is not recycled is now burned cleanly in one of our three energy recovery facilities. These generate electricity for the national grid.

For further information, please contact us on 01329 236100 or email at customerservices@fareham.gov.uk.