Your package arrives and you immediately tear off the tape but what do you do about the paper packaging?
Paper-based packaging is used everywhere. You order something online, they’ll ship it in a cardboard box or you buy chips, it’s stored inside a paper canister. Our lives revolve around it, there is no questioning it. What do you do with the paper packaging? Well, we’re here to tell you that you can recycle it. Not everyone knows how to recycle it. It can be a bit confusing… but it’s nothing too hard.
Firstly let’s see… are paper packaging recyclable?
Yes, they are. As long as they’re not contaminated with anything, they are 100% recyclable. Contaminated paper packaging is not recyclable because it is soaked in chemicals that can compromise the recycling process.
They are recycled by undergoing a process that allows them to become cardboard or other paper products. For cardboards it is shredded into small pieces and using water and chemicals, it is turned into fibres. Before it gets manufactured into something else, it will be filtered and mixed with water to make it into the perfect consistency. After it is processed, it’ll be dried out and turned into a completely new product.
Let’s take a look at how we can recycle paper packaging.
Break down the paper packaging
Cut it down and tear it up. Use a box cutter or a knife and cut the paper packaging so that it’s easier to recycle it. Make sure that there are no non-recyclable materials inside the packaging so that they can be recycled, but if you are lazy to remove the tapes or label, don’t worry as recycling centres can do it for you.
Your paper packaging is contaminated? Don’t worry, you can just cut off that part and the box will still be recyclable. You can use this for any paper-based packaging such as pizza boxes, potato chip canisters and cardboard boxes. Contaminated packagings are hard to recycle so you can make it easier for recycling facilities by recycling uncompromised packagings.
Recycle them on recycling days
Okay, you’ve cut it down, now it’s time to put it outside in recycling bins. If you don’t have a recycling bin outside, you can put them next to the waste bin and some recycling company can pick it up as long as it doesn’t rain and compromise the packaging.
You can’t fit all of it inside the bin and some boxes are hard to be cut into smaller pieces, so you should probably store them somewhere safe. Store them in your house first in case it rains outside. You can just call recycling companies to come and pick it up at your house or you can just go to the recycling centre yourself and recycle it.
Composting it
This one is perfect for all green thumbs out there. Paper packagings can be used for composting except for coloured ones. If there are printed stuff on the packaging, you can tear that part off and the rest can be used for composting. And also make sure that the packaging is not contaminated! Any parts that are contaminated, printed on or if there’s any tape or adhesive, cannot be used for composting.
If you are trying to compost a big paper packaging, make sure to break it down into a smaller piece first as it helps to speed up the composting process. You can sprinkle the small pieces on top of the compost pile that comprises hay, dead leaves and other compost materials.
Combine all the compost materials together. This method will ensure that the compost pile is moist and contains enough oxygen to be composted. After six to eight months it should be ready to use depending on the composting process.
Paper packaging is reuseable
What better way than just to reuse them for some other purpose. For example, if you are moving, you can just use paper packaging to pack your stuff in, even something as small as a shoebox can be used for storage. As long as your packaging is in good condition, not wet or ripped, you can definitely use it again for some other purpose.
If you don’t need the paper packaging, you can just donate it to someone who needs them. Friends, family or people at the community centre can use it for any purpose they may have.
You can also repurpose them into something else by cutting them and changing its look. Take a look down below what you can turn them into:
– Drawer for your stuff
– Paper canisters can be turned into a coin bank
– Reused for shipping
– To store your clothes
In conclusion, paper packaging is generally good for everyone. It’s good for the environment, for us and animals. The next time you have paper packaging, think twice before disposing of it… it could be recycled and turned into something new or reused again for another purpose.
If you are looking for a packaging solution for your product, we are here for you and we’re sure that we have the right paper packaging solution for you. Click here to find out more about Can Jaya Paper Packaging products.
