Forum Topic

Shredded paper in recycling bin?

Is putting shredded paper in the recycling bin permitted? Thanks

Julie Findley Clark ● 2369d24 Comments

It needs to go in general waste i believe. However, watch this space and I imagine someone will tell you how to make it into a wormery.

Rob Reynolds ● 2369d

From Hounslow websiteShredded paper is not accepted for recycling at our Waste & Recycling Centre, however, small quantities can be included in your food waste bin. Shredded paper placed in your Blue Box can pose issues with the sorting machinery. Shredded paper strands are deemed too short by our recycled paper manufacturers. Alternatively you can use shredded paper for pet and animal bedding, or you can compost this at home.

Chris Lucy ● 2369d

CL > "From Hounslow website"And from the Ealing Website: What can I recycle?"Paper (newspapers, magazines, envelopes, catalogues and junk mail; shredded paper - all also placed loose in your blue wheelie bin)" [emphasis added]

John Whitworth ● 2369d

Hoorah for Ealing. All this faffing about. Maybe LBH could turn the shredded paper into paper mache and fill the potholes. Huge one opposite Gunnersbury station. You can put a row of large coffee cup into the cracks within the hole and a bus will drive over with the cups intact. Talking holes and cracks. Did LBH not dig and relay the whole road not many years ago, that being Annandale road. I say that as i noticed the other day that its totally falling apart and separating down the middle where they have done it in two part.

Julian Pavey ● 2369d

"Talking holes and cracks. Did LBH not dig and relay the whole road not many years ago, that being Annandale road."No, Annandale Road has not been resurfaced for at least 12 years. It was due to be done in 2016 or 2017 but fell off the resurfacing programme like several other roads.Have you reported the Gunnersbury pothole to Hounslow Highways?

Richard Jennings ● 2369d

Julie - I put 2 handfuls of shredded paper in the bottom of compostible liner in green lidded food box to soak up wet and soggy food waste.  If you have a lot of paper here are just two companies who may be of help, assuming they are still in business:-SHREDDING LOTS OF OLD PAPERS25 March 2016www.shredit.co.ukLocated on the Great West Road , behind PC World, "The Shred It Company" hand you a minimum of 5 large paper sacks to fill up with your documents which you hand back to them with £25... and you can watch the shredding and destruction of your waste... and the baling.It all gets transported to France I was told for recycling as mache furnitureHOMESHRED www.homeshreduk.co.ukYou order your sacks which are delivered by post. Once you have filled and sealed them, you schedule a collection and they are taken for secure shredding. They send you a certificate of destruction.

Jennifer Selig ● 2369d

Many thanks Jennifer and the same to all who replied, I’m grateful.

Julie Findley Clark ● 2369d

No RichardIts been like it for weeks so surely others have.Its big and deep on a main road where your likely to be thrown forward if on a bike.

Julian Pavey ● 2369d

I think Hounslow's system is better.  Went for a walk today and in Hounslow they have front gardens with lots of greenery and flowering plants whilst in Ealing they have wheelie bin parks.  I actually hadn't realised why there was such a difference until I realised we had moved from one borough to another.

Philippa Bond ● 2369d

Well of course have no idea which Borough Julie is in, Hounslow or Ealing.  In Hounslow, the Council used to collect ONE securely tied supermarket sized Plastic bag of shredded paper if it was placed  beside the Blue Box of papers on collection days.  ONE bag only.

Jennifer Selig ● 2369d

Anyone know LBH policy on bagasse? It's the white, papery take away container now gaining popularity for food delivery. Fully biodegradable and compostable. Twice now the LBH crew have refused to collect our recycling and the only offense has been the bagasse containers in the bin.

David Lesniak ● 2369d

Lead Cllr Guy Lambert is your man - he's in charge of all things recycling.

Jennifer Selig ● 2369d

While on this subject, does anyone know what category expanded polystyrene falls into, the sort that is used in so much packaging these days from companies like Amazon? Cardboard? Paper? Surely not plastic?

Colin Jordan ● 2369d

Polystyrene not recyclable. Black bin.Do you have to shred so much paper?. I just tear off any details and put in food waste bin then recycle the rest in blue box.

Rima Jones ● 2368d

Also opt for paperless billing and stop never ending estate agents letters and stuff from Virgin Media to reduce the amount of paper being used.Even newspapers can be read online.

Rima Jones ● 2368d

I can't do any of that - beyond my capabilities.

Jennifer Selig ● 2368d

How did you stop the Virgin stuff, I returned it for ages, but it did eventually stop, after about 3 years.

Bob Guyett ● 2368d

Register with the Mailing Preference Service ( MPS ) mpsonline.org.ukLarge packages from Virgin Media used to arrive every week and the last time there was small print on the back of the envelope for opting out which I did and haven’t received any since.With estate agents a lot of it comes from data held at Canary Wharf and we can email to stop it.

Rima Jones ● 2368d

Using less paper saves more trees!

Rima Jones ● 2367d

Rima's right.  The short version of the old mantra is Reduce Reuse Recycle.There are always periods of catch-up but the fewer there are the easier it is.  We tear off the the identifying bits of the paper and only shred or put those in the wormery or food waste bin.  We have reduced the amount of paper we receive and print.  Every so often it is worth finding the time and effort to cancel those magazines and brochures/catalogues that come in the post and you never read.

Philippa Bond ● 2366d

Thanks Rima, I think I must have done that as the large ones (and small) stopped very suddenly.

Bob Guyett ● 2365d

There are lots of tips here to get the amount of waste and recycling you have down in volume.  I believe Mrs Green has more articles on facebook:https://myzerowaste.com/

Philippa Bond ● 2365d

David - I haven't come across bagasse. Will enquire. One of the things about recycling is that most things are recyclable in theory but practicalities come into it. For example I'm told there is only one recycler in the UK (or is it Europe?) who properly recycles Tetrapaks. They contain 4 separate materials - cardboard, polythene film, hard plastic openings and aluminium (I understand). Fortunately cardboard recyclers accept them and I presume incinerate what's not cardboard, or separate and send it elsewhere.

Guy Lambert ● 2365d

Good to hear Bob

Rima Jones ● 2365d