Can you recycle shredded paper?

Paper shredding. Great for disposing of documents containing personal or business information.

But have you considered the environmental impact of shredded paper waste? Can you actually recycle shredded paper?

Challenge of shredding in house or at home

One of the major challenges is that domestic paper recycling companies struggle to recycle shredded paper that has been mixed with general paper and cardboard. As the pieces are short, they tend to become caught in the machines. Another problem is that the fibres are too short to be mixed with other paper to form new products.
One of the major disadvantages of using a small office shredder to destroy your documents is the time spent removing staples, paperclips and folders. No-one wants the tiresome job of feeding documents through a machine, only to experience paper jams or overheating. There’s also the issue of what to do with the shredded paper that comes out.

Possible uses for shredded paper

If you have paper that you have shredded at home, there are a few practical uses. You could use it for pet bedding (hamsters love it!) If you don’t have a pet, then you could investigate donating it to your local vet practice. Another great option for gardeners is to add it to your compost bin along with your other fruit and vegetable waste. If you’re crafty, you could even have a go at making your own paper. Use it for wrapping, gift tags or card making.

Why use a professional shredding service?

The most efficient and costly way of removing your confidential paper and sensitive documents is to arrange for a shredding company to collect it. Most will pick up from your place of business or residence. It’s so easy to do so. You have a variety of options to choose from, including on-site or off-site shredding. Regular collections of material can be scheduled in or you can opt for a one-off collection whenever you need it most. The storage devices used to keep your confidential waste are lockable and only able to be opened by employees of the shredding company making it extra secure. If we collect from your home, you can simply hand over boxes or files of materials for secure shredding, and we do the rest.

Efficient and eco-friendly

Once your documents have been removed from your workplace or home, they are fed into a shredding truck, either to be shredded back at the depot, or to be shredded by machines inside a truck. There’s no need to remove staples, paperclips or document wallets – they can all go in together. As we shred a high volume of waste at one time, we are able to bale and send the shredded material to be fully recycled and made into new paper products. All the shredded paper is mixed with virgin fibres to help close the loop, recycle and contribute to a growing zero-waste society.

If you have paper that needs to be shredded, please contact us for more information and or obtain a quote for our professional and secure shredding services.