Five Common Paper Contaminants
Contamination is everywhere when it comes to recycling. It most likely occurs because people want to recycle as much as possible, and figure that anything tossed in a recycling bin will be recycled in some way.
Actually, the opposite is true, as contamination is the quickest way that an entire batch of recyclables will end up in a landfill because of a few outsiders. This is especially true when it comes to paper, since you rarely find a paper product that is entirely made of paper.
The best way to ensure that your paper is safe to recycle is by knowing what is accepted. Use Earth911 to find specific products that your local program or recycling center collects, as well as exceptions.
While all recycling programs are different, here’s five materials that will likely interfere with recycling once it reaches a paper mill:
1. Food Waste
Paper is recycled by mixing shredded fiber with water to make new pulp. Well, you may have learned in chemistry class that oil and water don’t mix well, so oil stains won’t simply dissolve in the water. Instead, you’ll get new paper that still has oil stains.
Oil is a pretty common cooking ingredient, meaning that it’s a likely remnant for lots of different foods. You’ll be able to tell the difference between a water stain and an oil stain because oil won’t evaporate over time.
Common Example: Pizza boxes
This really applies to any to-go food containers, but lots of people see a pizza box as just more cardboard. It’s unlikely your pizza box is recyclable when the pizza is gone, since oil from the food has been absorbed by the cardboard. Your best bet to not contaminate the rest of your recyclables is to place it in the trash.
2. Hazardous Products
Say it with me: anything that comes into contact with paint.
Common Example: Paint-stained newspaper
When you’re painting the walls, you don’t want to get the floor dirty, so often people lay down newspaper. Well, if paint drips on the newsprint, it belongs in the trash instead of the recycling bin.
3. Plastic/Wax Lining
Linings are added to many paper products for a number of reasons:
- Temperature control (think coffee cups)
- Leak control
- Strength and durability
While we definitely appreciate these traits in our paper packaging, plastic and wax lining is too difficult to separate during the recycling process. The exception is plastic windows in envelopes, because they can be easily detached by a filter leaving behind just paper.
Common Example: Paper cups
You’ve already learned why the plastic lining exists on these cups; the next step is making sure they go in the trash can. Reusable mugs and bottles are a way of keeping your waste output low while still enjoying a nice beverage.
4. Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs)
Not to be confused with public service announcements, these PSAs refer to anything that you can peel and stick without moisture. They are difficult to filter out and don’t dissolve in water (although the adhesive does), meaning they could be lodged in equipment.
Common Example: Sticky notes
You may know them by a corporate name, and you also may find the bright colors user-friendly. Extra complications arise when the bright colored notes are attached to white paper, as white and colored paper are separated when recycled (like when you do laundry). Address labels, stamps and even tape fall into this category as well.
5. Wet Paper
You may be wondering why wet paper is a contaminant if the paper will be drenched with water prior to recycling anyway. The answer is that exposure to water shortens paper fibers, making it less valuable. If your curbside program or local recycling center can’t sell the paper to a mill, there’s no point in collecting it for recycling.
This is yet another reason to not try and recycle napkins or paper towels. As a good rule of thumb, make sure your paper recyclables are covered if it’s raining.
Common Example: Wet newspaper
You may use it to stop roof leaks from ruining your wood floor or to line your pet hamster’s cage. Regardless, wet newspaper has little value to recyclers. Considering most newspapers are made from recycled newsprint, it’s important that what we recycle is in good shape.
Non-Contaminants
Now that you know what shouldn’t go in the recycling bin, here’s a few items that are typically safe to include with your paper recycling:
- Envelopes with adhesive, metal latches or plastic windows
- Paper clips
- Staples
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
straus75
posted on September 24th, 2008 at 10:34 am
"As a good rule of thumb, make sure your paper recyclables are covered if it’s raining."
This is not always possible – as well, most folks don’t know this, so what happens with all that paper? Is it tossed?
Theresa
posted on November 6th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Reading all these articles is great. Thank You! May i add comment heard from a relative that sounded like a good idea to me: What if the Government (because workers would be given good wages and ALL towns would have the “service”) set up One stop recycling centers that you could bring All recyling to that you can’t put at curb side (by the way, we need to rethink the paper containers to keep product dry at curb side…Why make it a problem?). Her idea was even to get unused medication, paint, nailpolish, spray cans, unused body care products, and posions, out of land fills. Why not even have miss. metal recycling; I have an old tin filled with small metal nail clippers and such i keep adding to rather than throwing away, but I won’t be planting them or anything! As it is, remembering, and keeping info on all the different places to bring different items is silly. NO One and I mean NO One we know is properly doing all the recycling that could be done. The Gov. could set uniform rules for everyone and distribution to manufacturing would become stream-lined. The cost of program would be off-set by selling the post consumer product of course. The present whole sale recyclers could become part of system and employees would get health insurance. My relative and I thought that it would be something taught about in schools, posted in news papers, with public service announcements on TV and radio, with a web site and phone #’s. Every one would do more because the idea would be more common place and accessable to every one…in the whole nation. Why not even connect to Canada and Mexico. Here is something the Fed. Gov. could do well and efficiently with needed jobs created and poison & waste reduced significantly. We could do this…and do it it well. Yes We Can America!!! (Damn, that speech is getting to me)
Are you contaminating the recycled paper stream? « greener loudoun
posted on November 7th, 2008 at 4:06 am
[...] Via EARTH911.org [...]
Calista
posted on February 7th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I live in both Los Angeles, California and Eugene, Oregon and I am writing to tell you that our recycling company says that pizza boxes are indeed recyclable in the facilities in L.A. and Eugene.
Tadpole
posted on February 7th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I recycle the top of the pizza box if there is no sign of oil, etc. Is this ok? How about Advair inhaler containers? They are made of hard plastic. Is there ever an identity theft problem with recycled paper, etc.?
Hoping you will reply to me. I WANT TO DO IT RIGHT AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO. With your help we can.
Thanks, Tadpole
THere are thing that you shouldn’t stick in the blue bins!
posted on February 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
[...] boxes. The oil from pizza can contaminate cardboard boxes, making it impossible to process them into clean [...]
"Cal"
posted on April 11th, 2009 at 9:35 am
If one is concerned with identity theft through recycling their paper bills and such, one should probably purchase a paper shredder and then empty the shredded contents into a large PAPER grocery bag and then staple the top closed and properly label the outside of the bag to read something like, “LOW GRADE PAPER” so the employee at the sorting/recycling center will know what it is. Another tip is that one can take the shredded paper and gradually disperse it into one’s compost pile where it will break down and add to your compost.
Charles Kolb
posted on May 14th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Our local recycler said that cereal boxes are not recyclable in this area. Cereal boxes are made of what’s called paper board, but corrugated cardboard is OK. Any reason for this? How can I get this changed to include any/all paper board?
Marsha
posted on August 19th, 2009 at 6:20 am
I’m looking for a way to recycle soft drink cans at work. I do the recycle of paper items for our office but I don’t have a good way to store soft drink cans because of the problem with ants. Anybody have a good suggestion?
Diana
posted on March 8th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Envelope adhesive is listed as a non-contaminant (acceptable in the recycling bin), but the article clearly states that adhesive LABELS contaminate a batch of paper. Is the ONLY acceptable adhesive is the part that’s on the flap of the envelope? NOT the adhesive on return address or shipping labels?
Please clarify. Thanks.