Here’s a question from one of our readers that came in via email:

“I shred my personal documents in a paper shredder, which collects in a plastic bag. Since you’re not supposed to put plastic bags in the bin, should you just dump the shredded material loosely in the recycling bin?”

In short, no.

According to Zero Waste and Litter Director Nic Esposito, shredded paper is too small to get sorted properly at the MRF.

“Unless it’s a specialty shredded paper recycler, it’s not getting recycled because the shredded paper in single stream is getting mixed with the crushed glass.”

So what can you do with shredded paper? The better move is using it for composting as a brown material.

Photo by Tomoe Steineck on Unsplash

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher