How to Better Your Paper Bag Recycling Practices

The Do’s and Don’ts of Paper Bag Recycling

Switching to paper bags is an easy fix that can help you and your business be more environmentally friendly. Paper bags can be renewed, reused, recycled, and are biodegradable. However, not all paper bags can be recycled. There are specific criteria that enable a paper bag to be fully recyclable and biodegradable. So in honor of National Paper Bag Day today (July 12), down below are some tips on how to determine if you can recycle your paper bags.

Recycling Wet or Soiled Paper Bags

Food and water are common sources of contamination when recycling paper bags. Once your paper bag comes in contact with an excessive amount of water it can no longer be recycled. All it takes is one contaminated specimen to make everything unrecyclable in the recycling bin. So before you put a paper bag into the recycling, it is best you remove any soiled parts and to keep your recycling bin in a dry area.

Recycling Bags with Glue on Them

Some adhesive used to adhere paper bags are water soluble, which allows it to be removed during the recycling process. However, not all recycling plants can process mixed paper. So it is best to research if your local recycling plant can recycle mixed paper or not. Paper Bags with Handles If the handles on the bag are made of paper they can go into recycling. However, other paper bags with plastic, string, or ribbon handles should have the handles removed before putting the bag into recycling. —— Source: How to Recycle Paper Bags