Paper Recycling

It has been estimated that the average household throws away between 12,000 to 15,000 items of paper every year. For companies this can be much greater. Simply Shredding recycles all paper that it comes into contact with by organising it to be compacted and sent to a modern paper mill.

Envelopes & Card Files

As well as shredding and recycling confidential papers we are also happy to recycle any envelopes or card folders. Whilst most paperwork that is sent to us is in fact confidential it does not need to be, and in fact we will recycle any clean, dry paper. If however, you have a large collection of brochures or magazines you will need to confirm with your Simply Shredding depot how they will handle this.

Paper Recycling Process

It is normal for paper to be compacted into mill size bales. Paper can then be transported in this form to the nearest mill where the recycling process can commence. On average a piece of paper can be recycled around 7 times before it turns into a wet paste and can no longer be recycled any further. At the mill the paper that is sent in by Simply Shredding is mixed with water and chemicals to break it down. After being chopped and heated it is reduced into a slurry, strained to remove any glues, bleached and mixed with more water before it can be turned back into a new piece of paper.

The Paper In Front of You

It is highly likely that any paperwork you possess will have already been through the recycling process several times. You may find that only half of the paper surface is new paper, 25% has been recycled once before, 10% twice before, 5% three times before, 2% four times before etc.