Almost 1.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard isn’t recycled in the UK every year, when it absolutely could be. Instead, it’s sent to landfill, incinerated or exported, usually because homeowners and businesses have no idea what can and can’t be recycled. Can that shiny wrapping paper with glitter be recycled? How about those documents with metal staples in?
Our mission is to reduce the amount of paper and cardboard that goes to landfill. In this guide, we explain the types of paper that can and can’t be recycled.
Key Takeaways
- Most wrapping paper and tissue paper can be recycled, as long as it’s free from foil, glitter, and tape
- Shredded paper and documents with staples or paperclips can go straight into normal paper recycling
- Laminated paper, photographic prints, and greasy or food-contaminated paper (like pizza boxes) cannot be recycled
- When in doubt, check with your local council or waste provider, as correct sorting makes the recycling process far more efficient.
- Recycled paper can be made with less energy and water compared to new paper
How To Recycle Paper Properly
There’s more to recycling paper than shoving it in the paper recycling bin. It might need to be cleaned or flattened, depending on the type of paper product you’re recycling.
First, there’s no need to put your paper waste into a plastic bag or other type of holder. This only makes things more complicated for your waste removal company, so any paper or cardboard can be put into a recycling bin loose.
Where possible, cardboard should be flattened to take up less space, and shredded paper can be put into a paper bag to stop it blowing everywhere.
All of your standard office paperwork, including envelopes with windows and documents with paperclips or staples, can be put straight into recycling.
Can You Recycle Wrapping Paper or Tissue Paper?
Wrapping paper causes lots of confusion when it comes to recycling. It often has a plastic feel, which is why so much is simply thrown into the general waste bin. However, most types of wrapping paper can be recycled. The general rule is to not recycle wrapping paper that contains foil or glitter – so lots of Christmas wrapping paper can’t be recycled. Otherwise, all other kinds are fine to put in your recycling bin, as long as any tape is removed.
Tissue paper can also be recycled once tape has been removed.
Can You Recycle Laminated Paper?
Laminated paper can’t be recycled because of the plastic in the laminate. Instead, put laminated paper into your general waste bin.
Can You Recycle Shredded Paper?
Shredded paper can be recycled, but it generally can’t be added to your usual paper recycling bin. Paper that’s shredded has weaker fibres than when the documents are intact, and this makes it lighter and harder for recycling plants to handle it. Shredded paper is best kept separate from your other paper recycling, and should be picked up by an approved confidential waste collector.
If you’d rather not shred the documents yourself, you can store your secure documents in a sealable bag or a lockable console and have them shredded by your waste removal company. Fresh Start offers secure shredding for hundreds of businesses that need any confidential documents destroyed.
Can You Recycle Paper With Staples In It?
This is a common question that we receive from businesses, particularly those based in offices. When it comes to recycling, you actually don’t need to remove things like staples or paperclips, as these will be separated during the paper recycling process once the paper has been turned into pulp.
As long as the paper is clean and uncontaminated (obviously ink is OK), you can leave the staples in.
Can Photos Go In Paper Recycling?
You can’t recycle photos that have been printed onto photographic paper, as this contains plastics and chemicals. Instead, these should be placed into your general waste bin.
Can You Recycle Paper Cups?
Paper cups or coffee cups cannot be recycled as they usually contain a very thin layer of plastic on the inside that stops the liquid escaping. As this layer can’t be removed very easily, it’s best to put any paper cups into your general waste bin.
Can You Recycle Paper Towels?
Paper towels, such as the blue roll you might have at work, can’t be recycled. This is usually because they’ve been used to clean up food or drink mess, and therefore would contaminate the other paper being recycled. It’s also because the material breaks into a sort of unusable sludge that can’t be repulped into anything useful. Any paper towels, including those used in the bathroom, should go into general waste.
The Full List of Paper Products You Can Recycle
Now that we’ve answered some of the questions we’re asked most frequently, you can find the full list of paper products that you can recycle below.
| ✔️ Plain paper (shredded and otherwise) |
| ✔️ Paper towels |
| ✔️ Envelopes and stamps (even window envelopes) |
| ✔️ Cardboard boxes |
| ✔️ Paperback books |
| ✔️ Newspaper and magazines |
| ✔️ Wrapping paper |
| ✔️ Tissue paper |
| ✔️ Paper bags |
| ✔️ Paper packaging |
| ✔️ Greaseproof or baking paper |
| ✔️ Plain brown paper |
| ✔️ Notebooks (with the spiral spine removed) |
| ✔️ Egg cartons (other cartons should be placed in mixed recycling) |
| ✔️ Corrugated cardboard |
The Paper Products You Can’t Recycle
Here are some common paper products that can’t be recycled, and should instead be placed into your general waste bin:
| ❌ Photographs printed on photographic paper |
| ❌ Paper cups |
| ❌ Paper that has food grease or residue on it (e.g. pizza boxes) |
| ❌ Napkins and tissues that have been used |
| ❌ Milk or juice cartons |
| ❌ Wallpaper (new or used) |
| ❌ Sticky paper |
| ❌ Wrapping paper that contains glitter or aluminium foil |
| ❌ Packaging envelopes with bubble wrap inside |
If you’re still unsure about the types of paper that can and can’t be recycled, check with your local council, particularly for household waste information, or ask your waste management provider for confirmation. We’re always happy to answer questions, as it improves the segregation of waste at source and makes our recycling process even more efficient.
Why Recycle Paper and Cardboard?
When you recycle your used paper and cardboard, you’re making a big impact on the planet and environment.
Producing paper from recycled materials, instead of virgin wood pulp, uses significantly less energy and water, and it reduces the number of new trees that are felled. Every tonne of paper that’s recycled (currently around four million tonnes in the UK) frees up valuable landfill space, which is becoming increasingly scarce and costly for councils and waste providers to manage.
There’s a financial incentive for recycling paper and cardboard too. For businesses producing high volumes of paper waste, recycling is often the most cost-effective disposal route compared to general waste, which is taxed at a higher rate through landfill costs.
Getting recycling right, by separating paper and cardboard correctly from contaminated waste, also means your collections run more efficiently, with less risk of loads being rejected.
Cardboard and Paper Recycling from Fresh Start
Fresh Start is an award-winning waste disposal and recycling service, operating across the North West and the Midlands, from Manchester and Liverpool to Birmingham and Derby. With a 99% attendance rate and hundreds of positive reviews, we’re proud of the commercial waste management services we offer to businesses across all sectors.
All of the paper and cardboard waste that we collect is sorted at our large materials recovery facility in Swinton before going on to be recycled and turned back into all sorts of useful items. Zero-to-landfill is our promise, and we recycle as much as possible to help protect our planet. Find out more about our sustainability missions, or contact us today for a tailored quote.
