Paper: Compost or Recycle?

A while ago, a friend asked me which was better, composting paper or recycling it.

That is a really good question that required me to do a bit of research.

And the answer is that it depends.

Paper is not infinitely recyclable (unlike glass), it’s fibers eventually degrade in quality after being recycled 5-7 times. Printer and office paper require strong fibers, so its fibers have only been recycled a couple times. Newspaper, wrapping paper, and tissue paper, on the other hand, can use lower quality fibers.

Here is what should be recycled and what should be composted and in what situation:

Recycle

• Glossy magazines, advertisements, and catalogs (these are more likely to contain toxic additives you won’t want in our compost if you are using it to grow produce)
• Office paper
• Sticky notes

In general, paper that is of higher quality should be recycled so that it can be used again, thus saving resources compared to virgin paper production.

Compost

• Paper products that are soiled with food waste, like napkins, paper towels, and paper plates (they can’t be recycled anyway)
• Newspaper
• Tissues
• Brown paper bags with food stains from takeout
• Greasy pizza box
• Shredded paper (even if it is shredded office paper, it cannot be recycled)

As for composting, it is better to add lower quality paper that is less likely to be recycled. In addition, adding paper is good for the health of your compost pile, helps keep it from being smelly, and absorbs water.

Unfortunately, some paper products can’t be recycled or composted and have to be reused or ultimately end up in the trash can.

Landfill

• Plastic coated paper products like coffee cups
• Glittery, glossy, and metallic wrapping paper
• Glittery tissue paper

So there you go!

There are some other things to remember though.

1. When buying paper products, opt for post-consumer recycled content to save as many trees as possible. There needs to be a demand for it!
2. Soley composting high-quality paper keeps those good fibers from the production stream, meaning there is less recycled paper to work with, also meaning more virgin resources being used.

 

Resources

• http://www.greenhome.com/blog/recycle-or-compost-paper-products
• https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/because-you-asked-when-should-i-compost-paper-instead-of-recycling-it
• https://earth911.com/home-garden/composting-recycling-compare/
• https://www.recyclebycity.com/chicago/guide

Save the Date with Less Waste

We received our save the date postcards in the mail the other day.

Now, all we have to do is slap some stamps on them and bring them to the post office!

There is no envelope stuffing required because we went the less paper (and easier) route of doing postcard save the dates. Recipient and return addresses are already printed on them!

I already have a thing about envelopes. People instantly toss them in the trash and maybe (probably not) the recycling bin.

So I figured we could go without them!

I know, I know, I could have just emailed everybody about the date, but that is no fun. No one is going to print out my email and put it in their fridge.

But if you are a reader who happens to receive one of these babies in the mail, put it on your fridge and stare at it for the next 8 months, and then please properly dispose of it in your recycling bin! K Thanks!