How "careful" are you re paper recycling

[onepieceoflollipop]

Firstly, sorry if this has been done recently, I did a quick search but am no good at searching. If it has just roll your eyes and give me the link.

We have a fortnightly paper collection and also put cardboard out (I know in some areas you can't put out cardboard). There are a few grey areas imo. Do you all rip out the windows in window envelopes for example? I didn't used to, but do now after reading that you should.

I also rip off envelope flaps (is the glue bit ok? - I am not sure so don't risk it). With wrapping paper if it is a large parcel I try and reuse it. If a smaller amount I presume that the sellotape can't go in the recycling so I bin it. (although genuine branded sellotape is apparently biodegradable so possibly ok?) Am I too finicky?

Also meant to say that with close family (esp dh) I avoid wrapping paper altogether - we keep recycling the same gift bags!

I take out the plastic windows from cardboard, but not from window envelopes. iirc, the recycling plants have machines that can cope with some sorting, so you don't have to be too fussy.

It's difficult isn't it - we do remove envelope windows - but apparently now some are made of biodegradable corn starch anyway .

You can't put cardboard which is plasti-coated on the inside either - so that's most cartons actually.

Incidentally did you know you have to separate the milk bottle tops from the bottles (the plastic ones) or they just chuck them away?

It annoys me. Round here they collect paper, plastic, cardboard, garden waste, and non-recyclables, but they won't collect glass and now have made it illegal to put anything electrical in your bin. Which is fair enough but means a very long drive to get rid of such things.

Our LA say that you don't need to remove envelope windows; I often chuck junk mail in the recycling without even opening it.

A couple of areas I'm not sure about: paper with stickers on (can it go in the compost?), and paper with paint on (I tend to put that in the black bin).

We don't have plastic recycling yet. Glass we have to take to the bottle bank. On the last bank holiday dd1 (4) said "oh does that mean we can't get rid of the bottles today!!

We have a little pile of junk items awaiting recycling in the garage, when the pile is large enough, every few months, dh goes to the tip.

Melpomene good points. dd often produces artwork thick with paint, glitter, stickers et al. It is about 5% paper and the rest other components so I tend to put in the "real" bin. We have a standard wheelie bin and I like to keep it below a 1/4 full, if we chuck out more I feel I have somehow "failed" iykwim.

I send DD's artworks to Granny so I don't have to keep them in the house

In our area they prosecute you if you stick unwrapped or unsorted junk mail in the recycling bin - if it has your address on they warn you, then fine you the second time. Tis a bit annoying TBH.

What do they mean by unsorted wmmc? Do they mean you should remove your details for security reasons? Or is there some ethical/practical reason it should be opened?

I rip out the plastic from envelopes and windows in boxes etc.
Take the labels of the tins and jars that are being recycled and put that in the paper sack as well.
Recycle dc's artwork as giftwrap and birthday cards. I recycle gift bags and if giving a gift I don't write on the gift tag part of the bag so the recipient can re-use it if they want to! I just put the birthday card in the bag.
Giftwrap that comes on pressies we are given I try to reuse but if its ripped or too badly crumpled I put it for recycling - bits of sellotape I leave on, tons of gaffer tape on say a parcel that came in the post, I recycle just the bits with no tape on.
For junk mail I do open it then rip off the part with name and address and anything else like a code that might identify me by it. Those bits get shredded then put in the paper sack.

So say you get a paper envelope with your name and address on and you know it has paper inside it, but you fail to open in to check in case the sender has secreted rubbish bits of plastic etc (you know like scratchcards etc.) you get told off.

Oh I see now thanks wmmc.

In our area you dont need to rip out the windows any more, and glossy can go in too.

So, we recycle everything. we shred all confidential stuff and recycle that too.

Wrapping paper is fine too, but at xmas they ban the recycling of wrapping paper, because of the amount of non-reycleable sellotape/ribbon on it.

By the way to reduce and virtually eliminate ALL junk mail (as dp and I have done over the past 18 months) follow this cunning plan:

If you know something is junk mail, don't even open it. Put 'not at this address' all over it and stick it back in the postbox. The original sender is charged I think its about £1 each for these so they take you off their mailing list pretty quick.

For things like RAC or your bank that you are a member of and need them to have your address for the services that you WANT from them, ring them up and say you only want to have correspondence directly relating to your membership/bank statements etc and not any marketing they may have for their other departments/products. We have done this successfully for our own things and the childrens ctc accounts etc too.

Over time the amount of junk mail you get will reduce to almost nothing.

I also avoid things like Bounty membership where they just sell on your details to other organisations and bombard you with crap.

I rip windows out, our collectors are merciless. They are always leaving my card on the street (not cardboard even) even though we are allowed to recycle it. They sort through it and everything!

Flibberty I am going to try that tip about ringing the bank etc. I have it with my credit card provider. I reckon at least once a week they offer me a loan. (not exaggerating btw). I did it successfully with Next and Lakeland.

The Mail Preference Service can hugely reduce the amount of junk mail you get, especially if it's for people who don't live at your house any more. I make an effort to return everything to sender that isn't for us or is unwanted junk - some firms take ages to get the hint so I amuse myself with writing increasingly harsh opinions of the company on the envelope.

We can put all paper and card in our Smartsacks (plus all glass, cans, tetrapacks + plastic bottles) - which is great except I've run out and the four-monthly delivery hasn't happened on my street yet. The council will deliver more ASAP, apparently.