Shredded Paper.

It is possible they just don't want loads of loose shredded paper in the recycling bins. As most of the mixed recycling stuff gets emptied onto a moving a conveyor belt, with people wearing gloves to sort it rapidly into various bins/boxes as it rolls past them, the tiny bits of paper would end up rolling past everyone and into the machinery working the belt. That could put the equivalent of a spanner in the works.

Plus, if the binmen are a bit clumsy emptying the recycling bins into the lorry, the streets would be in a snowstorm like a New York ticker-tape parade. It is bad enough when larger bits of recycling fall out, shredded paper would be even worse to clear up.

Elegran Exactly what I thought. I can't understand why they would want shreddings put straight into a recycling bin! Nor can I understand why our bin men put my large bag of very fine shreddings into the recycling bin before loading into the lorry. The bag needs careful handling or the mess would be terrible.

Chestnut That is why I put the shreds into a sealed cardboard box - it withstands a bit of robust handling better than a poly bag, and (if the sorters believe me that the box contains only paper) it can go straight into the paper/cardboard pulping section. The poly bag would have to be emptied at some point, to get rid of the plastic.

Did you read that plastic has been found in meat from animals fed waste food? They reckon that surplus supermarket stock in plastic containers was just chucked into the animal-feed mincer (or however they process it) containers and all.

Calendargirl

Following on from my OP, we are soon to get another bin for ‘clean paper and cardboard’, so will see what new instructions come for that.

We have no glass recycling bin at present, have to take it to a bottle bank, but that is changing as well, so will be interesting to see where everything then is to be put.

I have a recycling bin just for paper and card but still cannot put shredded paper in it - no idea why not but I put mine in a bin bag in the general waste. I must find out the reasons!

I always put shredded paper in the compost container and have done for decades. I have never had any problem.

Paper sent to be bedding fr animlas will quickly absorb just enough damp to dampen down all the dust.

Did you read that plastic has been found in meat from animals fed waste food? They reckon that surplus supermarket stock in plastic containers was just chucked into the animal-feed mincer (or however they process it) containers and all.

That is disgusting and shows how employees just don't care what they do and have no conscience. Would they feed that meat to their children? Maybe they are so dopey they would. Maybe they think it just disappears once it's minced.

I did not think it was permissible to feed ruminant animals meat anymore.

Maybe it was vegetables or vegetable dishes in plastic.

It was probably unsold vegetables packaged in plastic. Feeding them meat wasn't mentioned - only meat FROM the animals. I'll try to find the article again to post a link.

Thia article refers to a study in the Netherlands - www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/2022/07/80-of-cow-and-pig-meat-blood-and-milk-contains-plastic/

but the Guardian has an article about a British farmer in Lincolnshire who found plastic shreds in almost every scoop of the pellets he was feeding his pigs. He learnt that "More than 650,000 tonnes of unused food, from loaves of bread to Mars bars, are saved from landfill each year in the UK by being turned into animal feed. The system that strips off the plastic wrappings can’t capture it all, and so in the UK a limit of 0.15% of plastic is allowed by the Food Standards Agency. The official EU level for plastic permitted in animal feed is zero although in reality many other countries operate within the same 0.15% limit."
www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/15/legal-plastic-content-in-animal-feed-could-harm-human-health-experts-warn

Zero limits would normally have tolerances either side and that makes +/- 0.15%, equal to 3/20ths of 1% a very tight tolerance. Although obviously, in this case, you cannot have -1.5%

all my shredded paper goes into one of my mini hot bins for compost, it soon breaks down and makes a superb mix with my garden waste. I add to my shreds by shredding brochures, good paper for composting

DD1 has a garden and an allotment. She says that she spends 75% of thinking time thinking about compost ?. She also says she never has enough cardboard for her multiple compost heaps and bins.

She and family were here for a few days last week and will be stopping over again on their way back from Mull at the weekend. We have a surplus of cardboard boxes so, if they can fit any into their car and roof box alongside all the camping gear etc, etc, she can have some of ours.

Non shiny paper is fine , we have been composting that for years , ripped up corrugated cardboard ok as well.
The shiny stuff goes unshreaded in paper bin.

I was told the problem with shredded paper is that a lot has printer ink on -its not just plain paper & therefore can't be composted- so to treat it ass paper recycling.

I don't often shred paper but if I do it goes in our recycling bin. I had never thought about it being a problem. Just checked council website and small amounts of shredded paper should go in recycling bin, nothing about separating it in any way.

That's something new I've learned, I've always put it loose in the recycling bin. I will put it in the household one from now on

Our shredded paper is given to our local animal sanctuary for the "smallies" cages.

I burn ours as composting doesn’t work well and burning ensures the security of the information on the paperwork.

Just looked on our council website and shredded paper goes in a reusable sack for white paper.
We don't have one so I've emailed asking for one. Fingers crossed we will get one.

Problem is, all councils will have their own rules. In ours (Cherwell) we can put shredded paper in the mixed dry waste bin along with tins, cardboard, newspaper, etc. I think other councils are stricter.

Shredded paper in the paper and cardboard bin though if I have a lot I bag it and take it to the recycling centre. Hate tge thought of tge wind catching it when bin is being emptied and blowing all over. Kitchen roll paper has to go in landfill, apparentky can have fine plastic/wood fibres in it. Never use to clean your specs!

I’ve always composted shredded paper. Only disaster was maybe 20 years ago when someone shredded something laminated and I had to pick out bits of plastic. I use it both in my compost bin with the kitchen waste and my compost heap for garden waste and it composts perfectly after about 18 months which is how long I usually leave it to break down. It got two years this time as I broke my leg at the 18 month point.

Slightly off tangent, we put a bag of used batteries on top of the general waste bin, as instructed. I just watched the bin man tip the whole lot into the cart, batteries included! I honestly don't think they care really.

I soak mine in water, squeeze it out, and put it in the non recyclable bin.