Paper sacks for shredder paper

Primrose

Our local authority Recycling Dept have suddenly started to refuse accepting the contents of our paper shredder in the black plastic bags that line the shredder and told us we must now put it all in paper sacks or they will refuse to take it.
We have a shredder with a fairly large capacity. Can anybody tell us where we can buy appropriate paper sacks. (We produce too much paper to put it on our compost heap, and anyway we don't want it blowing all around the garden.) Thanks.

MX5huggy

Can you not empty the black bags into the council bins?

ilikewatch

These can be bought relatively cheaply on eBay depending on the quantity you require.

Ruski

Make your own with a few sheets of newspaper and some 'sticky backed plastic' as they used to say....

Very MSE and enviro-trendy....

HTH

Russ

Stooby2

Or if you're concerned for the polar bears...

http://www.ecosack.co.uk/

Primrose

Unfortunately out local authority doesn't operate a Wheelie Bin system. All refuse has to be put either into black sacks for landfill disposal, or into plastic boxes for glass/tins and paper recycling. The plastic bin lids don't fit properly & continually blow off in the wind so loose shredded paper tipped into the relevant plastic box would blow all over the place and turn the area into a complete tip. This is why we need to find some big paper sacks/containers to keep the shredded paper secure & stop it being blown away. The refuse collectors have been told not to accept any waste paper that is contained in plastic sacks or plastic carrier bags because the paper recycling facility where it ends up can't cope with the plastic element.

WestonDave

Grrr - solution is for collector to pick up bag, empty said bag into container on truck and put empty bag into a black bag tied onto the vehicle for this purpose - it works in our area! I'd be suggesting this to the council with the alternative that if they don't want to adopt this system the paper can go in the landfill bag and they can pay the landfill tax on it!

Primrose

Yes that sounds perfectly sensible but I suspect our refuse contractors are on some kind of time/performance incentive and every time they have to undo a black plastic bag to tip it into the truck means less money for them. I will contact our local authority and ask them where they get the paper sacks for emptying for their own office shredders and whether they will make them available for sale to council tax payers to avoid the landfill tax. That's probably asking for too much joined-up thinking!