Shredding the Myths About Shredded Paper

One myth is that all paper can be recycled the same way. Paper is made of fibers, and different types of paper have different fiber lengths. Printing paper is one of the highest grades, while tissues and toilet paper are a lower grade. When paper is shredded, the fibers become shorter and are less useful in the recycling process (Earth911).

Once you mix shredded paper in with all of your other recyclables, it becomes non-recyclable.  During mechanical sorting, shredded paper often gets mixed in with the small pieces of glass or falls through the filter screen and recycling centers are unable to retrieve it. That’s no myth! So please throw your shredded paper in the garbage.

Shredding companies can handle high volume shredding because the shredded material is kept separate, does not have to be sorted, and does not become degraded when it is mingled with other recyclables.

Another myth is that shredding documents is the only way to keep your information safe. If a document you were planning to shred only contains a few lines of confidential information, you can use white-out or a permanent marker to safely cover it up and recycle.

To reduce your shredded paper use, ask to receive your bills and financial statements online rather than in the mail. A few ideas for reusing shredded paper include as packing material, animal bedding, kindling, and even grass for Easter baskets.

Try to only shred what’s necessary to be environmentally-friendly. When you do shred, make sure to throw it away, recycle high volumes through a collection program, or reuse it! These are all small ways we can work towards a better environment for years to come.