Councils: Don’t recycle paper or cards
FAMILIES have been ordered not to put any wrapping paper or Christmas cards into recycling bins for the first time this year.
Last year, thousands of tons of recyclable paper had to be dumped because people had mixed it with shiny wrapping, which is covered i n plastic, and glitter- covered cards, which cannot be recycled.
Now more than 60 councils have told residents not to bother trying to separate their Christmas waste, and simply throw it all in the general rubbish bin instead.
Britain will throw away 40 square miles of wrapping paper this Christmas, enough to cover Manchester. Most councils ask householders to separate glitter and metallic foil paper from their recyclable paper, but people often get this wrong.
Fran Morrison, of recycling firm Biffa, said: ‘If glitter gets mixed in with the paper it can’t be pulped for recycling as it will contaminate new paper being made. Glitter can get through the screen used to remove impurities and clogs machinery.’
Among the councils banning wrap- ping paper from recycling bins is South Tyneside, which said: ‘Wrapping paper cannot be recycled because it is often laminated, dyed, made of foil or covered in glitter.’
Tory MP Neil Parish called for such wrapping and cards to be eradicated, adding: ‘There needs to be a rethink – to go back to using black and white paper and arty designs without the need to use plastic.’