13 January 2017

Negative Christmas Paper Recycling Claims

The Daily Mail claims millions of tons of wrapping paper and Christmas cards will end up in landfill because they cannot be recycled. The article claims that cards and wrapping made with glitter or a metallic finish are being rejected by paper mills. This implies that a large amount of people who carefully sorted their Christmas waste for recycling would have seen it reach landfill. 

However BPIF Associate Member Prismm Environmental, have highlighted that one senior recovered paper mill expert reported to letsrecycle.com, "This idea of millions of tons of paper and cards not being able to be recycled is not true as the paper industry generally tries to cope with the material that comes in over the next few weeks."

"Glitter and plastic wrapping 'paper' can be a problem and we prefer not to receive it. We are used to this and it comes in as part of mixed papers for use in papermaking and the industry is prepared. The plastic material is removed although glitter can be more of a nuisance and seems to be more popular nowadays."

It is also important to note that glitter and heavily coloured wrapping paper represents only a relatively small amount of the vast volumes of paper and cardboard generated.

The Two Sides initiative says - 
The print and paper industry is a world leader when it comes to sustainably-managed materials, renewable energy and recycling. Some of the key facts about paper's sustainability highlighted are:

• Between 2005 and 2015, European forests grew by an area the size of Switzerland - that's 1,500 football pitches every day!
• Europe recycles 72% of its paper
• 84% of the industry's raw materials come from Europe
• Between 2005 and 2013, the CO2 emissions of the European pulp and paper industry were reduced by 22%
• 56% of the industry's total primary annual energy consumption is biomass-based

Find out more about Two Sides at www.twosides.info

Waste Facilities Management at prismm.co.uk 

Source: http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/mills-allays-fears-after-daily-mail-christmas-paper-recycling-claims/ 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4072050/Christmas-recycling-shambles-glitter-covered-cards-t-used.html