Paper recycling: how to recycle paper at home

From newspapers and magazines to letters and paper bags, paper recycling can encompass them all. If you want to learn all about the paper recycling process, including how to recycle paper at home and our favourite paper recycling tips, then look no further.

It’s not just about recycling paper, we should also try to use less of it. Set your home printer to use double-sided printing as its default to get started.

How to recycle paper

There are a few different ways to recycle paper and it often depends on your location. Local councils and cities have different regulations so you should always check online to see what rules apply in your area.

Generally, there’ll be a day every 1-2 weeks when refuse collectors will pick up the recycling. Always put yours out the night before! Local guidance should tell you what you can put in your recycling too - for paper, most kinds of clean paper, newspaper, and cardboard are usually accepted.

Where to recycle paper

If your local council doesn’t do pick-ups, there are other ways to recycle paper:

• Take it to your local waste paper recycling unit. These are often located out of the town centre and deal with other types of waste too - consider if there's anything else you can take along to make it a more valuable trip.

• Consider ways to reuse things before throwing them out: if the wrapping paper is removed carefully then you may be able to use it for something else. 

Paper is extremely flammable, so be sure to keep your recycling away from any open flames.

Top paper recycling tips

When recycling paper at home, take these tips into consideration:

• Flatten cardboard boxes so you can fit more into the bin.

• After birthdays, recycle wrapping paper, envelopes and birthday cards.

• Don’t forget to transfer toilet paper tubes from the bathroom to your recycling box.

Paper recycling facts

In case you need a little bit more convincing…

• It takes half a million trees to produce a single day’s newspapers.

• A 15-year-old tree could make 700 grocery bags.

• The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year (mostly packaging and junk mail).

• Every ton of recycled paper saves a whopping 4000 kilowatts of energy!

Those are our favourite paper recycling facts and tips that can make a big difference to the environment and energy conservation. Now it's time for you to give it a go and spread the word! 

• Make sure the paper you recycle is clean.

• Add it to your recycling collection.

• Check when your recycling is due to be picked up.

• Put it outside your house the night before.