Recycling shredded paper (merged)

pboae

It depends on
a) whether their machinery can cope with it and
b) what quality of recycled product they make with it

Just as some will take cardboard, catalogues, phone books, etc, some won't. You need to check with your local scheme to find out whether or not you can recycle it.

moonrakerz

The main reason that they won't take shredded paper is to meet Government "targets".
The targets imposed by central Government are all in weights, shredded paper is light and bulky - that's why they won't take it.

Another case of lets not be sensible, we must meet the targets !

julliff

moonrakerz wrote: »

The main reason that they won't take shredded paper is to meet Government "targets".
The targets imposed by central Government are all in weights, shredded paper is light and bulky - that's why they won't take it.

Another case of lets not be sensible, we must meet the targets !

Thanks for all of the replies.

How do you know this is true moonrakerz?

SherbetMan

Can I use shredded paper for the hamsters' bedding, have been thinking about it, but then saw about the chemicals?

pboae

SherbetMan wrote: »

Can I use shredded paper for the hamsters' bedding, have been thinking about it, but then saw about the chemicals?

In theory you shouldn't, because of all the inks and chemicals in there, but lots of people do. I don't think I would though, they are so little they only need a tiny amount of something that doesn't agree with them to make them ill.

If you do use it, you should only use cross cut paper, not strips, as they can get the strips tangled round their legs.

Also bear in mind that shredded paper has lots of sharp edges and isn't *that* soft for bedding.

exel1966

julliff wrote: »

Hello,

I have been told by someone at work tat we shouldn't put shredded paper into the recycling boxes, as the fibres are too small, and it cannot be recycled.

Does anyone know if this is true?

I know you can compost them, but I haven't got a garden? Maybe I could put them in with the garden waste?

Many thanks

It would all depend on the which recycling plant the council use as to whether it can be accepted. Only your council will be able to advise you of that.
My LA do take shredded paper and just about everything else, but my g/f's do not take it, nor do they take one of the best recyclable products - GLASS !!

moonrakerz

julliff wrote: »

Thanks for all of the replies.

How do you know this is true moonrakerz?

Sorry, I may have confused you there !

The high level targets are in percentages, but the only way the Councils can estimate the percentage of recycling is to weigh it; therefore the heavier the material recycled the better their figures are. Hence they don't want light, fluffy shredded paper. My local centre displays all the recycling figs in tons (tonnes ?).

Also, if you just think about it - suppose a Council is given a target to recycle 50% of tin cans. How do they calculate what percentage is actually being recycled ? Do they go through all the other rubbish to see how many cans are NOT being recycled ? Like so many figures that are produced in response to Gov't targets they must be taken with a large pinch of salt !

Remember the 3 day target to see your GP !!!!!

LittleVoice

moonrakerz wrote: »

Sorry, I may have confused you there !

The high level targets are in percentages, but the only way the Councils can estimate the percentage of recycling is to weigh it; therefore the heavier the material recycled the better their figures are. Hence they don't want light, fluffy shredded paper. My local centre displays all the recycling figs in tons (tonnes ?).

Oh, I'd forgotten a ton of feathers weigh less than a ton of lead.

MarkyMarkD

We used it for our guinea pigs' bedding for years with no problems at all. But this was stuff from work so it was almost definitely cross-cut.

We had far more problems when we used hay which is supposedly better for them - we had two eye-stick injuries on two different GPs.

moonrakerz

LittleVoice wrote: »

Oh, I'd forgotten a ton of feathers weigh less than a ton of lead.

How many tons of newspapers will you get in a skip ?

How many tons of shreddings will you get in a skip ?