Why bother to recycle shredded paper?
Americans average seven trees per year in paper use. Recycling only recovers about 66% of the paper produced each year.
There are laws about trespassing, but technically there is no law against searching through garbage to find personal information. Accessible recycling or garbage containers make it easy for someone looking for information to rummage through the containers and bags. Shredding is a simple deterrent to those seeking to piece together your personal information.
What can you
do if you do not have access to a shredder or shredding services?
For day-to-day mail you can use a permanent marker to block out personal information (i.e., name, address, phone number). Use the permanent marker to black-out any personal data, then dispose of it in normal recycling bins. The permanent ink will break down with other inks in the recycling process. It is better to shred more detailed or old (outdated personal and legal) documents to ensure protection of your more private information.
Why is it
difficult to recycle shredded paper?
The longer the
fibers in the paper, the higher the value and quality of re-use options.
The shredding process results in shorter fiber lengths. This reduces the
quality of end products that can be made with the pulp created by recycling the shredded paper.
The Shredded
Paper Recycling Process:
Shredded paper falls
under the classification of mixed paper, so it must be separated from
cardboard, office paper and newspaper grades.
The resulting shredded paper is then boiled and sent to a mill. At the mill there are machines (aka.,
pulpers) that add water and chemicals to break down the paper into fibers. Through this process any ink and adhesive
materials are removed, and the paper fibers start bonding together. The resulting pulp fibers are rolled and
dried. Because mixed paper fibers are
smaller than those from cardboard or office paper, they are of lesser quality and used
in more disposable products such as coffee filters, egg cartons, paper towels
and toilet paper.
See Earth 911 for more information on recycling and related issues!