Shredded paper is ‘a nuisance’ to recycle

While the benefit of having a Paper shredder in the home or office has come to prominence in recent months, some local councils have reported problems dealing with the increased volume of additional Paper.

According to Let’s Recycle, a leading information source for news on recycling and waste management in the UK, a number of local authorities around the UK have claimed that they would rather not have to handle shredded Paper.

Some added that content being removed from Paper shredders would be best composted as it would decompose and become less a nuisance to handle for recycling centres around the country.

One of the UK’s leading waste management schemes, Project Integra, has banned shredded Paper for a number of years now as it is deemed a safety risk.

Steve Read, executive officer for Project Integra, told Let’s Recycle: "The main problem is that shredded Paper doesn’t usually survive the Materials Recycling Facility.

"If it manages to reach the sorting stage the material will leave the process at this point as it is only designed to identify pieces of Paper which are A5 or larger so that smaller pieces of Paper will fall through."

Mr Read added that the produce from Paper shredders can fall off conveyor belts in recycling plants, become entangled in machinery and cause a potential fire risk.

However, police and other senior officials maintain that Paper shredders remain one of the most secure ways to reduce the risk of identity theft, a crime which the Metropolitan Police have earmarked as one of the biggest problems to hit the UK in recent years.

At Paperstone, we can help you protect your identity with one of a range of Paper shredders.