Foil paper, ribbons, bows, and bags...Ooh my! NO, NO, NO!
One of the most common mistakes is tossing garbage bags full of wrapping paper into the recycle bin. While most wrapping paper is recyclable, placing it all in a bag removes it from the stream. Remember, everything that goes into your recycle bin MUST BE LOOSE - NO BAGS!
Think twice when purchasing wrapping paper. In order to qualify for recycling, it must be 100% paper. So, the rolls that sparkle, or have shiny foil mixed in are NOT eligible for the recycle bin.
We also need to watch out for the ribbon and bows that comes along with the wrapping paper, as those are tanglers. They get caught up in the mechanics, bog down the system, and can shut down the entire sorting line.
All paper has the best chance of being sorted properly if it is folded, not crumpled into a ball.
So, when recycling wrapping paper, remember:
- No foil or sparkly paper in recycling
- No ribbons, string, or bows in recycling
- No bags - loose material only in recycling
- Flatten, don't crumble the paper