August 10, 2022 • 23 mins
We all know paper can be recycled… but what about envelopes? Sticky notes? Receipts? Baking paper? And takeaway coffee cups?
We’re talking all things recycling on the City of Kingston's new waste podcast. Visit our A to Z of waste disposal guide for more information on how you can help you recycle and dispose of waste items correctly.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Welcome to trash talk,
the world's trashiest podcast where we sort through your waste and recycling.
Hello,
everyone.
And welcome back to our trash talk podcast where myself and Jules will be talking about all things rubbish.
(00:30):
Um,
and today's topic is,
uh,
paper,
but first of all,
I'll just quickly jump in and introduce myself.
So I'm Freya and I'm Council's Waste Education Officer and here I have with me,
my colleague,
Jules.
Hello,
everyone.
And,
uh,
we're gonna be chatting all about the paper recycling and what can and can't go in and what happens to it.
(00:50):
So it'll be delving into the world of paper.
So,
Jules just off the start,
what items can be recycled?
Well,
yeah,
it seems pretty straightforward.
I mean,
papers,
paper.
Right.
Yeah,
I hope so.
But anything like your office,
a four paper or various sizes,
uh,
(01:11):
envelopes,
um,
sort of your newspapers or magazines,
any of those sorts of things,
books,
books are fine.
Obviously,
we'd like to avoid any plastic spirals or things like that.
But your traditional bound uh,
with a glued spine book is totally fine.
Uh,
what else?
There's so many things,
(01:32):
so many different types of paper and even we could then go into the world of cardboard packaging and look at,
you know,
Muesli bar boxes and,
you know,
even the,
the brown corrugated boxes that you might have a TV in.
So there's just so many items of paper and cardboard out there.
Yeah,
there's a lot and we'll touch on it a little bit in the latest section.
(01:54):
But there's products that we call composite where like you've got an envelope with a plastic window in it.
Obviously,
that's two different types of materials.
Um Some of those things we say,
yeah,
it's all good to chuck in and some things we like you to separate such as uh like the cardboard backing for a toy that sort of has a model plastic fronts its packaging,
(02:16):
you know,
just rip those things apart,
put the cardboard in the recycling bin,
put the plastic bit in your rubbish bin because that's actually not uh a recyclable plastic.
A lot of them,
they don't have any of those labels on them.
So it can be a little bit confusing from time to time because we've got those different materials mashed together.
But for the most part,
(02:37):
um most paper products and cardboard products can be put into your recycling bin.
Yeah,
that's good.
So basically,
so I'm not touching on the the envelope.
So the envelope because it is classified as a composite item.
Can,
can we put them in because yeah,
yeah,
it is confusing.
It is a little bit.
So the answer is yes,
you can put it in the recycling bin.
(02:59):
It'll,
that little plastic window will get separated through the processing of the paper,
I guess in the pulping process it'll get sort of pulled out in that.
Exactly.
Right.
So,
they'll,
they'll have a way of screening all those little bits and pieces.
If you want some brownie points,
just cut out the window and make the recycling facility life easier.
(03:20):
But you do not have to.
Technically they're ok.
Yeah,
that's cool.
Um,
so,
yeah,
now I,
now I guess we just have a bit of a chat about some of these random common questions that we quite often quite often asked by residents.
Um,
so I'm gonna throw it in here on a,
on a different one.
A new one that we commonly get asked is sticky notes because sticky notes are quite often,
(03:42):
they're quite small.
There's a high chance that they might fall off the conveyor belt.
So,
what I've been saying to,
to residents is,
um,
you know,
if you've got a sticky note,
maybe stick it to another bill or a piece of paper just so,
you know,
don't want to stick 100 of them onto the one thing because as we talked about in episode one,
if things are heavy and it might get sorted as the wrong thing,
(04:02):
but you could just stick that sticky note on a piece of paper and that would be fine,
wouldn't it?
Yeah,
absolutely.
I mean,
you touched on it there.
One of the things that's really important to understand about all the contents that go on your yellow bin paper included is so much of the process is gravity driven and weight driven in terms of the items.
So if,
(04:23):
if you're modifying things,
like putting a sticky note on a piece of paper that would be fine,
you're not making it drastically heavier.
But like you said,
if you're sticking 100 on it,
it might weigh something more akin to a plastic bottle or an aluminum can or something like that.
So,
yeah,
the odd sticky note.
Totally fine.
Something else uh be worth mentioning as well.
(04:45):
Um We quite often in the waste world call this uh white snow.
But uh one of the things that we're really kindly trying to ask residents is please don't shred your paper if you don't have to shredded paper when it goes to the materials recovery facility or,
or the murph that we're gonna be calling it um when it goes in a co mingled.
(05:06):
So our yellow bins um in Kingston,
it is so fine and so small that once it gets dumped in the in the factory or the facility,
it almost ends up like snow and flies everywhere in the wind and causes a massive mess.
Um And again,
they're that small that quite often they the the materials,
the shredded paper that goes on,
(05:27):
the conveyor belt doesn't actually make its way through all the sorting lines because it very easily falls off.
So one of the things I would strongly say is please don't shred your paper documents.
If you don't have to,
if you do have secure documents,
you might want to consider taking your paper to office works or other companies do have shredded paper facilities.
(05:48):
Um But for,
for me,
for example,
I just get a black texture and black out any personal details.
But better yet nowadays,
I'm asking for all of my bills and things to come online.
So I don't even have that piece of paper.
But yeah,
definitely,
please keep out any of what we call the white snow out of your recycling bin.
Um You can,
if you have to rip up a piece of paper,
(06:09):
that's fine,
I would say rip it in half if you can.
And I mean,
if you do have an envelope,
I would suggest,
you know,
if you have half a piece of paper,
you could probably put that in an envelope and that would help get recycled and make its way through the journey.
But the idea is that we don't want to go putting lots of paper or shredded paper in an envelope because again,
(06:30):
that will change that weight and it might get detected as glass or,
or something heavier um as we go through.
So yeah,
anything generally smaller than a credit card in size paper or otherwise it's just,
it's just too small to be recycled properly.
Like there's gaps in the conveyor belts and,
you know,
there's things blowing bits and pieces around.
(06:52):
It's,
it's just too small if it's smaller than a credit card and add in some wind as well,
if there's wind coming through the facility and things like that.
Yeah,
it's just,
just a bit of a mess.
So,
yeah,
if you can try and keep out the shredded paper,
that would be absolutely fantastic.
Um Now the next one is receipts.
What about receipts?
Jewels?
Can I recycle my receipts?
(07:13):
You can't.
Unfortunately.
Um it is paper product but it's a heat transfer product.
So it's a little bit different.
Um that just has to go in your garbage bin.
Unfortunately,
I think maybe next time I'll just say no when I'm at the supermarket,
say no to receipts because if it's,
you know,
your groceries or something that you don't think you're gonna return,
(07:33):
there's not really any point and,
and most retailers these days uh where you buy clothes or electronic goods and stuff,
they often offer to email or text your receipt anyway.
So just ask for that option instead,
it's much,
much better option.
And again,
we're,
we're doing that whole avoidance of the waste,
going back to that waste hierarchy of avoiding first and then reduce reuse,
(07:53):
recycle and lastly dispose.
Now another hot topic that's definitely in Melbourne at the moment and especially in the Kingston area is our face masks.
So first of all our face masks,
are they paper?
Are they plastic?
Are they this composite material?
What,
what are these items?
And what do we do with them?
(08:14):
Well,
yeah,
I mean,
there's lots of different types of face masks out there.
Pretty fashionable ones I've seen in recent years.
But your common sort of medical looking ones,
those blue,
one,
blue or white,
that's the one.
So those are composite items.
So composite again,
meaning it's multiple um material types to make the one product.
(08:38):
So the majority of that is actually plastic,
it's a plastic fiber.
One of the things that people don't realize a lot of their clothing is made from plastic fibers or have a lot woven in the shopping bags,
those green bags from woolies or other places.
It's actually a plastic textile.
It's not,
you know,
(09:00):
it's not,
it's actually plastic.
So like a polar fleecy sort of material.
So face masks are a no,
yeah,
definitely keep them out of the recycling bin by the sounds of it in the garbage bin because some of those,
some of those,
some of those white ones sorry could be confusing and look like they're paper and that's why they going in.
(09:21):
But yeah,
unfortunately we have seen a huge increase,
not a huge,
but we have seen an increase of face masks coming in through the recycling.
So please make sure um that you put them in the garbage bin.
Although I have seen it on a random side note tangent.
Um I have seen other companies like office works and I think there's a company Terracycle and a few other places that are doing face mask recycling as well.
(09:43):
So I'm not entirely sure how they recycle it or what the materials go into,
but that's something worth looking into if,
if that's what you're interested in,
in doing with your face masks.
Um I'd also recommend even looking at getting a reusable face mask so that you don't have to have a disposable one every time.
But yeah,
and then I guess that ties in again with those baby wipes or makeup wipes because they sometimes look like that sort of paper material,
(10:08):
but they're sort of that cloth material as well.
So I'm guessing that might be a,
one of those plastic composite materials as well.
Yeah,
that's exactly right.
It's a,
again a plastic fiber,
it's not a natural fiber.
So baby wipes and makeup wipes those things.
Yeah,
they have to go into the red lid bin,
your garbage bin,
unfortunately,
(10:28):
send them off to landfill.
And I guess one of the other common sort of paper products that is very misleading because it does say paper in the name is baking paper.
So,
so baking paper has this greasy wax sort of substance on it,
which helps it make it great for non sticking and cooking and things like that.
(10:50):
But people think because it's got paper in the name that it can be recycled.
So,
yeah,
it's a little bit confusing.
Technically,
it is paper but like you said,
it has that waxy layer on it to make it.
So it doesn't absorb um,
liquids that makes it really hard for the other end where they need to combine it with water.
(11:12):
So it's just not recyclable.
Um Unfortunately,
again,
it's one of those things,
it has to go into your garbage bin.
I have seen that on,
on the,
on another note for that is reusable baking paper.
So like having the silicon tray that might be an option,
um might be a great idea for giving gifts as well if you got birthdays or,
or whatever coming up um to try and avoid using that baking paper in the first place.
(11:37):
Yeah,
cool.
And I know we have talked about this in our first uh episode but if you are unsure,
keep an eye out for the new um recycling logos and symbols on packaging because that will really help to distinguish,
you know,
what items can be recycled or not.
Um Some other ones that we have come through from residents and this is a one of a very hot topic conversation that I'll uh I'll get you to get provide some more detailed jewels.
(12:05):
Is the coffee cups.
So who,
what,
why when of coffee cups can paper disposable coffee cups be recycled.
Ok.
So the short answer is no,
they can't be recycled.
And the reason for that is to keep your coffee within the cup and not ending up a soggy mess.
(12:28):
It does have a plastic liner in that cup.
It's not visible but it's very thin and it is there.
So again,
that's another item.
When it comes to recycling the paper,
it ends up as a plastic film and causes issues there.
So they're not recyclable.
The lid is the lid.
(12:49):
You can chuck in your recycling bin.
But the cup itself.
No.
Yeah.
And I guess some more confusion with the coffee cup is what happens if the coffee cup says compostible or biodegradable on it because quite a lot of people think compostible and biodegradable is recyclable.
But is it recyclable or are these just very big long words that everyone's getting confused by?
(13:11):
Yeah,
it is so confusing and I wish things would be better explained and I guess that's why we're having a chat.
Now what we're here for.
Exactly.
So with the,
um,
bio plastics and biodegradable products and things like that,
it is recyclable but recyclable in the sense that it's being reused.
(13:33):
So a biodegradable products simply saying it breaks down.
Um Now those particular products are not made from paper fibers.
So that's why we don't want it in your recycling bin because it's not actually a paper product.
A lot of them are made from plant starches,
often corn starch or other things.
(13:55):
Um,
that's why they can be composted and broken down in your gardens bins or your compost at home.
Example,
are compostible liners that council use.
They're made of a material that can break down properly like that.
Exactly.
So,
yeah,
keep those things out because it actually has zero value to the paper recycling because it's not a paper product.
(14:19):
Yeah.
And it's very confusing and I guess the short answer when it comes to coffee cups and disposable coffee cups is just try to avoid them where possible.
Or next time you do go to a cafe or a shop,
sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.
You don't run around with your,
you know,
run around,
enjoy your shopping,
just sit down,
take five minutes and enjoy a cup of coffee and that's one less cup that we have to send to landfill.
(14:39):
There's so many good brands out there for reusable cups.
Years ago.
There was limited options,
but now like there's so many good ones out there and,
and it was great to see that.
I think one of the leading brands keep cup on it on a side note going off on a tangent.
The idea and the idea for that was from Melbourne,
you know,
from a coffee shop in the city.
(15:00):
So I think that's fantastic.
It's a local idea that's taking over the world.
So that's great to see.
But,
yeah,
when it comes to coffee cups,
just avoid them if possible.
The other question that we do get is paper based kitty litter.
So people say,
well,
the kitty litter is made from paper.
Surely we can put that back in the recycling bin and recycle it.
(15:23):
Well,
you can put kitty litter in your recycling bin as much as you can put your own toilet paper.
It's,
it's had some stuff on it.
So the answer is no,
you can't put your kid liter in the recycling bin.
Yes,
it's paper pellets.
(15:44):
It's a,
but it's absorbing all those nasties that your cat excretes.
Um,
yeah,
we don't want it.
It's just not recyclable.
Yeah.
And I guess because animal waste in general has lots of pathogens and,
and things in it that is just not good.
And a lot of people think that you can then put um,
animal waste like,
or key litter in the green food and garden waste bin.
(16:05):
But because of these pathogens,
um,
they don't fully break down in that composting process and therefore there's a high chance that they're gonna be in that finished compost which might end up on crops.
And that's the last thing a farmer wants.
If they're trying to grow plants and crops and things like that,
it is for the harmful pathogens to,
to make their way there.
So please,
I guess if you have any animal waste like kitty litter and dog poo,
(16:27):
please cape them out of the recycling and garden bins.
Um The other one would be you could look at doing a special um composting system for your um pet poo and animal waste.
So that's also another option as well.
Alrighty.
Well,
maybe it's time to then delve into the sorting process and how we recycle paper.
(16:49):
Yeah,
so we covered last time that there's some convoluted machinery that sorts all the different paper and,
and wheels and all kinds of stuff going on.
So when it has gone through its sorting process and it's been put into those nice cubes at the materials recovery facility and they get loaded onto a truck for whoever's bought the product.
(17:13):
So it's been separate.
So it goes from the recycling bin at home to the materials recovery facility gets sorted out from your glass and plastic and other items like that and then it gets bailed up and then sent to,
yeah,
who,
who takes it?
Where,
where does it go after that?
Yeah.
So there's quite a few,
um,
I guess pulping factories who would call them?
(17:35):
So,
just a paper recycling factory.
Um,
obviously,
yeah,
there's places all over Melbourne and all over the country.
So whoever particularly is buying the product,
um,
they might have different processes on how they break that down and recycle it.
But,
yeah,
there's a very wide variety of different places that can end up.
(17:57):
Yeah,
I guess,
I guess an example of like one of those facilities of things,
what they do is once the paper comes in,
they break open the bales and they then sort of try to separate out the paper by type,
might put the good quality paper because that the other thing when it comes to recycling paper,
paper can only be recycled 5 to 7 times.
(18:18):
Um And that's because it loses the quality of the fibers.
Yeah.
So the fibers breakdown becomes shorter and shorter,
meaning they don't bind to each other as well when they actually make the paper.
Um So what's an example of good quality paper then?
So your be your best quality would be your cardboard.
Um They have large fibers and are really tough and durable.
(18:39):
That's why we use them to a couple of boxes um to move things around the country and then you sort of step down to your office paper magazine,
step down again to tissues and toilet paper and things like that.
Yeah.
Cool.
So,
yeah,
so,
I guess so once it goes to this new paper facility,
it gets separated out sort of by type and then they are clean and screen the paper.
(19:02):
I guess that's mainly looking for staples potentially.
Yeah.
So they'll collect it and they'll shred it all up and they'll clean it with water and put potentially a few chems tools just to remove any nasties if there happen to be some.
Yeah.
And yeah.
Screening it for any staples or paper.
Clips or those plastic windows from the envelopes,
as we mentioned earlier around and stuff or like,
(19:26):
if the,
the book still has the glue and it's holding things together that bit might be screened out.
Um,
anything that just hasn't broken down from being shredded and cleaned properly,
basically.
Yeah,
that's cool.
And then,
so I guess from then,
then we go through what's called,
like a deinking and brightening stage where they try and remove any of the ink off any of the paper and then um try and brighten up the paper.
(19:49):
But again,
it depends,
is this paper gonna be used for say,
print paper or newspaper,
you know,
does it have to be that bright white color or is it gonna be toilet paper?
It doesn't need to be that.
So it just depends on what material has come through and what they're trying to recycle it and turn it into.
Um So once they've gone through the,
the deinking and the brightening stage,
(20:10):
if,
if necessary,
they'll end up with basically this beautiful paper sludgy product and that gets pushed out on conveyor belts where they press and they heat that product uh into giant paper sheets and then can cut them to various sizes or whatever products they're trying to make.
Um Yeah,
(20:31):
it's just,
there's all kinds of things,
but there's so many different paper products as we mentioned before,
but they all just go through that similar process.
But then um start to differ towards the end,
depending on the thickness of cardboard they want to make or thickness of paper.
You got all sorts of GSM size,
I guess.
Even if it's colored paper as well,
(20:52):
you know,
for art rooms or school classrooms or,
or whatever it is,
you know,
if they want to add in some extra dyes and things make it pink or purple or blue or whatever color there is.
Yeah,
it's pretty,
it's quite a process when it gets to that.
And then I guess,
um,
once it's all done then it gets turned into new products.
So then that paper,
then,
you know,
which was once,
um,
say magazines might get turned into newspaper,
(21:15):
a newspaper could get turned into,
um,
other types of,
sort of paper,
like packaging,
things like that.
And then eventually it gets turned into that toilet paper,
um,
that tissue paper or even,
um,
tissues.
So when it comes to tissues can we actually put them back in the recycling bin?
Yeah.
So,
unfortunately not,
um,
at that point it sort of reached the end of its life of its usability and the fibers are quite soft and tear easily.
(21:42):
So,
yeah,
that's kind of the end of the line there.
And I guess as well,
who wants to have paper made from recycled boogers?
It's not,
that's not the best or recycled toilet paper.
It's a bit gross.
And I guess one of the other things just quickly that I forgot to mention before is um,
so we have our papers so it could,
could get turned into new paper bags and things like that.
(22:04):
And there's a lot more paper bags coming out,
which is great to see because the supermarkets are selling them over the plastic bag.
So that's a really good option.
But um the paper bags that have like the material handles or it might be a rope or something.
How does that go through that pulping stage?
What,
you know,
is that recyclable or not recyclable or?
What's the deal with those paper bags?
(22:26):
Yes.
So the fabric just won't go through.
You put your clothes in a washing machine,
it comes out still closed.
Um Yeah.
So any,
any bags with those fabric handles from whatever store just cut them off or rip them off and then put the bag in the recycling bin,
(22:46):
put those fabric candles in the rubbish bin or find a way to reuse them.
I don't know,
be creative,
reuse that.
Drop off a local kindergarten or?
That's right.
Yeah.
Just be creative.
Find a way to reuse or better avoid them.
Take your own bag to,
you know,
if you're gonna go buy clothes or something like that and,
you know,
for the paper bags that do have those paper handles instead and then you don't have to worry about it,
(23:09):
I think,
don't have to just easy check.
I mean,
after you've used them a few times.
Alrighty.
Well,
I think that covers everything on our paper episode for today.
So thanks for listening to this trash talk episode on paper.
Our next episode is all about the wonderful world of plastics.
Uh We look forward to talking trash with you next time.
(23:30):
Awesome.
See you,
I think.
Welcome to trash talk,
the world's trashiest podcast where we sort through your waste and recycling.
Hello,
everyone.
And welcome back to our trash talk podcast where myself and Jules will be talking about all things rubbish.
(00:30):
Um,
and today's topic is,
uh,
paper,
but first of all,
I'll just quickly jump in and introduce myself.
So I'm Freya and I'm Council's Waste Education Officer and here I have with me,
my colleague,
Jules.
Hello,
everyone.
And,
uh,
we're gonna be chatting all about the paper recycling and what can and can't go in and what happens to it.
(00:50):
So it'll be delving into the world of paper.
So,
Jules just off the start,
what items can be recycled?
Well,
yeah,
it seems pretty straightforward.
I mean,
papers,
paper.
Right.
Yeah,
I hope so.
But anything like your office,
a four paper or various sizes,
uh,
(01:11):
envelopes,
um,
sort of your newspapers or magazines,
any of those sorts of things,
books,
books are fine.
Obviously,
we'd like to avoid any plastic spirals or things like that.
But your traditional bound uh,
with a glued spine book is totally fine.
Uh,
what else?
There's so many things,
(01:32):
so many different types of paper and even we could then go into the world of cardboard packaging and look at,
you know,
Muesli bar boxes and,
you know,
even the,
the brown corrugated boxes that you might have a TV in.
So there's just so many items of paper and cardboard out there.
Yeah,
there's a lot and we'll touch on it a little bit in the latest section.
(01:54):
But there's products that we call composite where like you've got an envelope with a plastic window in it.
Obviously,
that's two different types of materials.
Um Some of those things we say,
yeah,
it's all good to chuck in and some things we like you to separate such as uh like the cardboard backing for a toy that sort of has a model plastic fronts its packaging,
(02:16):
you know,
just rip those things apart,
put the cardboard in the recycling bin,
put the plastic bit in your rubbish bin because that's actually not uh a recyclable plastic.
A lot of them,
they don't have any of those labels on them.
So it can be a little bit confusing from time to time because we've got those different materials mashed together.
But for the most part,
(02:37):
um most paper products and cardboard products can be put into your recycling bin.
Yeah,
that's good.
So basically,
so I'm not touching on the the envelope.
So the envelope because it is classified as a composite item.
Can,
can we put them in because yeah,
yeah,
it is confusing.
It is a little bit.
So the answer is yes,
you can put it in the recycling bin.
(02:59):
It'll,
that little plastic window will get separated through the processing of the paper,
I guess in the pulping process it'll get sort of pulled out in that.
Exactly.
Right.
So,
they'll,
they'll have a way of screening all those little bits and pieces.
If you want some brownie points,
just cut out the window and make the recycling facility life easier.
(03:20):
But you do not have to.
Technically they're ok.
Yeah,
that's cool.
Um,
so,
yeah,
now I,
now I guess we just have a bit of a chat about some of these random common questions that we quite often quite often asked by residents.
Um,
so I'm gonna throw it in here on a,
on a different one.
A new one that we commonly get asked is sticky notes because sticky notes are quite often,
(03:42):
they're quite small.
There's a high chance that they might fall off the conveyor belt.
So,
what I've been saying to,
to residents is,
um,
you know,
if you've got a sticky note,
maybe stick it to another bill or a piece of paper just so,
you know,
don't want to stick 100 of them onto the one thing because as we talked about in episode one,
if things are heavy and it might get sorted as the wrong thing,
(04:02):
but you could just stick that sticky note on a piece of paper and that would be fine,
wouldn't it?
Yeah,
absolutely.
I mean,
you touched on it there.
One of the things that's really important to understand about all the contents that go on your yellow bin paper included is so much of the process is gravity driven and weight driven in terms of the items.
So if,
(04:23):
if you're modifying things,
like putting a sticky note on a piece of paper that would be fine,
you're not making it drastically heavier.
But like you said,
if you're sticking 100 on it,
it might weigh something more akin to a plastic bottle or an aluminum can or something like that.
So,
yeah,
the odd sticky note.
Totally fine.
Something else uh be worth mentioning as well.
(04:45):
Um We quite often in the waste world call this uh white snow.
But uh one of the things that we're really kindly trying to ask residents is please don't shred your paper if you don't have to shredded paper when it goes to the materials recovery facility or,
or the murph that we're gonna be calling it um when it goes in a co mingled.
(05:06):
So our yellow bins um in Kingston,
it is so fine and so small that once it gets dumped in the in the factory or the facility,
it almost ends up like snow and flies everywhere in the wind and causes a massive mess.
Um And again,
they're that small that quite often they the the materials,
the shredded paper that goes on,
(05:27):
the conveyor belt doesn't actually make its way through all the sorting lines because it very easily falls off.
So one of the things I would strongly say is please don't shred your paper documents.
If you don't have to,
if you do have secure documents,
you might want to consider taking your paper to office works or other companies do have shredded paper facilities.
(05:48):
Um But for,
for me,
for example,
I just get a black texture and black out any personal details.
But better yet nowadays,
I'm asking for all of my bills and things to come online.
So I don't even have that piece of paper.
But yeah,
definitely,
please keep out any of what we call the white snow out of your recycling bin.
Um You can,
if you have to rip up a piece of paper,
(06:09):
that's fine,
I would say rip it in half if you can.
And I mean,
if you do have an envelope,
I would suggest,
you know,
if you have half a piece of paper,
you could probably put that in an envelope and that would help get recycled and make its way through the journey.
But the idea is that we don't want to go putting lots of paper or shredded paper in an envelope because again,
(06:30):
that will change that weight and it might get detected as glass or,
or something heavier um as we go through.
So yeah,
anything generally smaller than a credit card in size paper or otherwise it's just,
it's just too small to be recycled properly.
Like there's gaps in the conveyor belts and,
you know,
there's things blowing bits and pieces around.
(06:52):
It's,
it's just too small if it's smaller than a credit card and add in some wind as well,
if there's wind coming through the facility and things like that.
Yeah,
it's just,
just a bit of a mess.
So,
yeah,
if you can try and keep out the shredded paper,
that would be absolutely fantastic.
Um Now the next one is receipts.
What about receipts?
Jewels?
Can I recycle my receipts?
(07:13):
You can't.
Unfortunately.
Um it is paper product but it's a heat transfer product.
So it's a little bit different.
Um that just has to go in your garbage bin.
Unfortunately,
I think maybe next time I'll just say no when I'm at the supermarket,
say no to receipts because if it's,
you know,
your groceries or something that you don't think you're gonna return,
(07:33):
there's not really any point and,
and most retailers these days uh where you buy clothes or electronic goods and stuff,
they often offer to email or text your receipt anyway.
So just ask for that option instead,
it's much,
much better option.
And again,
we're,
we're doing that whole avoidance of the waste,
going back to that waste hierarchy of avoiding first and then reduce reuse,
(07:53):
recycle and lastly dispose.
Now another hot topic that's definitely in Melbourne at the moment and especially in the Kingston area is our face masks.
So first of all our face masks,
are they paper?
Are they plastic?
Are they this composite material?
What,
what are these items?
And what do we do with them?
(08:14):
Well,
yeah,
I mean,
there's lots of different types of face masks out there.
Pretty fashionable ones I've seen in recent years.
But your common sort of medical looking ones,
those blue,
one,
blue or white,
that's the one.
So those are composite items.
So composite again,
meaning it's multiple um material types to make the one product.
(08:38):
So the majority of that is actually plastic,
it's a plastic fiber.
One of the things that people don't realize a lot of their clothing is made from plastic fibers or have a lot woven in the shopping bags,
those green bags from woolies or other places.
It's actually a plastic textile.
It's not,
you know,
(09:00):
it's not,
it's actually plastic.
So like a polar fleecy sort of material.
So face masks are a no,
yeah,
definitely keep them out of the recycling bin by the sounds of it in the garbage bin because some of those,
some of those,
some of those white ones sorry could be confusing and look like they're paper and that's why they going in.
(09:21):
But yeah,
unfortunately we have seen a huge increase,
not a huge,
but we have seen an increase of face masks coming in through the recycling.
So please make sure um that you put them in the garbage bin.
Although I have seen it on a random side note tangent.
Um I have seen other companies like office works and I think there's a company Terracycle and a few other places that are doing face mask recycling as well.
(09:43):
So I'm not entirely sure how they recycle it or what the materials go into,
but that's something worth looking into if,
if that's what you're interested in,
in doing with your face masks.
Um I'd also recommend even looking at getting a reusable face mask so that you don't have to have a disposable one every time.
But yeah,
and then I guess that ties in again with those baby wipes or makeup wipes because they sometimes look like that sort of paper material,
(10:08):
but they're sort of that cloth material as well.
So I'm guessing that might be a,
one of those plastic composite materials as well.
Yeah,
that's exactly right.
It's a,
again a plastic fiber,
it's not a natural fiber.
So baby wipes and makeup wipes those things.
Yeah,
they have to go into the red lid bin,
your garbage bin,
unfortunately,
(10:28):
send them off to landfill.
And I guess one of the other common sort of paper products that is very misleading because it does say paper in the name is baking paper.
So,
so baking paper has this greasy wax sort of substance on it,
which helps it make it great for non sticking and cooking and things like that.
(10:50):
But people think because it's got paper in the name that it can be recycled.
So,
yeah,
it's a little bit confusing.
Technically,
it is paper but like you said,
it has that waxy layer on it to make it.
So it doesn't absorb um,
liquids that makes it really hard for the other end where they need to combine it with water.
(11:12):
So it's just not recyclable.
Um Unfortunately,
again,
it's one of those things,
it has to go into your garbage bin.
I have seen that on,
on the,
on another note for that is reusable baking paper.
So like having the silicon tray that might be an option,
um might be a great idea for giving gifts as well if you got birthdays or,
or whatever coming up um to try and avoid using that baking paper in the first place.
(11:37):
Yeah,
cool.
And I know we have talked about this in our first uh episode but if you are unsure,
keep an eye out for the new um recycling logos and symbols on packaging because that will really help to distinguish,
you know,
what items can be recycled or not.
Um Some other ones that we have come through from residents and this is a one of a very hot topic conversation that I'll uh I'll get you to get provide some more detailed jewels.
(12:05):
Is the coffee cups.
So who,
what,
why when of coffee cups can paper disposable coffee cups be recycled.
Ok.
So the short answer is no,
they can't be recycled.
And the reason for that is to keep your coffee within the cup and not ending up a soggy mess.
(12:28):
It does have a plastic liner in that cup.
It's not visible but it's very thin and it is there.
So again,
that's another item.
When it comes to recycling the paper,
it ends up as a plastic film and causes issues there.
So they're not recyclable.
The lid is the lid.
(12:49):
You can chuck in your recycling bin.
But the cup itself.
No.
Yeah.
And I guess some more confusion with the coffee cup is what happens if the coffee cup says compostible or biodegradable on it because quite a lot of people think compostible and biodegradable is recyclable.
But is it recyclable or are these just very big long words that everyone's getting confused by?
(13:11):
Yeah,
it is so confusing and I wish things would be better explained and I guess that's why we're having a chat.
Now what we're here for.
Exactly.
So with the,
um,
bio plastics and biodegradable products and things like that,
it is recyclable but recyclable in the sense that it's being reused.
(13:33):
So a biodegradable products simply saying it breaks down.
Um Now those particular products are not made from paper fibers.
So that's why we don't want it in your recycling bin because it's not actually a paper product.
A lot of them are made from plant starches,
often corn starch or other things.
(13:55):
Um,
that's why they can be composted and broken down in your gardens bins or your compost at home.
Example,
are compostible liners that council use.
They're made of a material that can break down properly like that.
Exactly.
So,
yeah,
keep those things out because it actually has zero value to the paper recycling because it's not a paper product.
(14:19):
Yeah.
And it's very confusing and I guess the short answer when it comes to coffee cups and disposable coffee cups is just try to avoid them where possible.
Or next time you do go to a cafe or a shop,
sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.
You don't run around with your,
you know,
run around,
enjoy your shopping,
just sit down,
take five minutes and enjoy a cup of coffee and that's one less cup that we have to send to landfill.
(14:39):
There's so many good brands out there for reusable cups.
Years ago.
There was limited options,
but now like there's so many good ones out there and,
and it was great to see that.
I think one of the leading brands keep cup on it on a side note going off on a tangent.
The idea and the idea for that was from Melbourne,
you know,
from a coffee shop in the city.
(15:00):
So I think that's fantastic.
It's a local idea that's taking over the world.
So that's great to see.
But,
yeah,
when it comes to coffee cups,
just avoid them if possible.
The other question that we do get is paper based kitty litter.
So people say,
well,
the kitty litter is made from paper.
Surely we can put that back in the recycling bin and recycle it.
(15:23):
Well,
you can put kitty litter in your recycling bin as much as you can put your own toilet paper.
It's,
it's had some stuff on it.
So the answer is no,
you can't put your kid liter in the recycling bin.
Yes,
it's paper pellets.
(15:44):
It's a,
but it's absorbing all those nasties that your cat excretes.
Um,
yeah,
we don't want it.
It's just not recyclable.
Yeah.
And I guess because animal waste in general has lots of pathogens and,
and things in it that is just not good.
And a lot of people think that you can then put um,
animal waste like,
or key litter in the green food and garden waste bin.
(16:05):
But because of these pathogens,
um,
they don't fully break down in that composting process and therefore there's a high chance that they're gonna be in that finished compost which might end up on crops.
And that's the last thing a farmer wants.
If they're trying to grow plants and crops and things like that,
it is for the harmful pathogens to,
to make their way there.
So please,
I guess if you have any animal waste like kitty litter and dog poo,
(16:27):
please cape them out of the recycling and garden bins.
Um The other one would be you could look at doing a special um composting system for your um pet poo and animal waste.
So that's also another option as well.
Alrighty.
Well,
maybe it's time to then delve into the sorting process and how we recycle paper.
(16:49):
Yeah,
so we covered last time that there's some convoluted machinery that sorts all the different paper and,
and wheels and all kinds of stuff going on.
So when it has gone through its sorting process and it's been put into those nice cubes at the materials recovery facility and they get loaded onto a truck for whoever's bought the product.
(17:13):
So it's been separate.
So it goes from the recycling bin at home to the materials recovery facility gets sorted out from your glass and plastic and other items like that and then it gets bailed up and then sent to,
yeah,
who,
who takes it?
Where,
where does it go after that?
Yeah.
So there's quite a few,
um,
I guess pulping factories who would call them?
(17:35):
So,
just a paper recycling factory.
Um,
obviously,
yeah,
there's places all over Melbourne and all over the country.
So whoever particularly is buying the product,
um,
they might have different processes on how they break that down and recycle it.
But,
yeah,
there's a very wide variety of different places that can end up.
(17:57):
Yeah,
I guess,
I guess an example of like one of those facilities of things,
what they do is once the paper comes in,
they break open the bales and they then sort of try to separate out the paper by type,
might put the good quality paper because that the other thing when it comes to recycling paper,
paper can only be recycled 5 to 7 times.
(18:18):
Um And that's because it loses the quality of the fibers.
Yeah.
So the fibers breakdown becomes shorter and shorter,
meaning they don't bind to each other as well when they actually make the paper.
Um So what's an example of good quality paper then?
So your be your best quality would be your cardboard.
Um They have large fibers and are really tough and durable.
(18:39):
That's why we use them to a couple of boxes um to move things around the country and then you sort of step down to your office paper magazine,
step down again to tissues and toilet paper and things like that.
Yeah.
Cool.
So,
yeah,
so,
I guess so once it goes to this new paper facility,
it gets separated out sort of by type and then they are clean and screen the paper.
(19:02):
I guess that's mainly looking for staples potentially.
Yeah.
So they'll collect it and they'll shred it all up and they'll clean it with water and put potentially a few chems tools just to remove any nasties if there happen to be some.
Yeah.
And yeah.
Screening it for any staples or paper.
Clips or those plastic windows from the envelopes,
as we mentioned earlier around and stuff or like,
(19:26):
if the,
the book still has the glue and it's holding things together that bit might be screened out.
Um,
anything that just hasn't broken down from being shredded and cleaned properly,
basically.
Yeah,
that's cool.
And then,
so I guess from then,
then we go through what's called,
like a deinking and brightening stage where they try and remove any of the ink off any of the paper and then um try and brighten up the paper.
(19:49):
But again,
it depends,
is this paper gonna be used for say,
print paper or newspaper,
you know,
does it have to be that bright white color or is it gonna be toilet paper?
It doesn't need to be that.
So it just depends on what material has come through and what they're trying to recycle it and turn it into.
Um So once they've gone through the,
the deinking and the brightening stage,
(20:10):
if,
if necessary,
they'll end up with basically this beautiful paper sludgy product and that gets pushed out on conveyor belts where they press and they heat that product uh into giant paper sheets and then can cut them to various sizes or whatever products they're trying to make.
Um Yeah,
(20:31):
it's just,
there's all kinds of things,
but there's so many different paper products as we mentioned before,
but they all just go through that similar process.
But then um start to differ towards the end,
depending on the thickness of cardboard they want to make or thickness of paper.
You got all sorts of GSM size,
I guess.
Even if it's colored paper as well,
(20:52):
you know,
for art rooms or school classrooms or,
or whatever it is,
you know,
if they want to add in some extra dyes and things make it pink or purple or blue or whatever color there is.
Yeah,
it's pretty,
it's quite a process when it gets to that.
And then I guess,
um,
once it's all done then it gets turned into new products.
So then that paper,
then,
you know,
which was once,
um,
say magazines might get turned into newspaper,
(21:15):
a newspaper could get turned into,
um,
other types of,
sort of paper,
like packaging,
things like that.
And then eventually it gets turned into that toilet paper,
um,
that tissue paper or even,
um,
tissues.
So when it comes to tissues can we actually put them back in the recycling bin?
Yeah.
So,
unfortunately not,
um,
at that point it sort of reached the end of its life of its usability and the fibers are quite soft and tear easily.
(21:42):
So,
yeah,
that's kind of the end of the line there.
And I guess as well,
who wants to have paper made from recycled boogers?
It's not,
that's not the best or recycled toilet paper.
It's a bit gross.
And I guess one of the other things just quickly that I forgot to mention before is um,
so we have our papers so it could,
could get turned into new paper bags and things like that.
(22:04):
And there's a lot more paper bags coming out,
which is great to see because the supermarkets are selling them over the plastic bag.
So that's a really good option.
But um the paper bags that have like the material handles or it might be a rope or something.
How does that go through that pulping stage?
What,
you know,
is that recyclable or not recyclable or?
What's the deal with those paper bags?
(22:26):
Yes.
So the fabric just won't go through.
You put your clothes in a washing machine,
it comes out still closed.
Um Yeah.
So any,
any bags with those fabric handles from whatever store just cut them off or rip them off and then put the bag in the recycling bin,
(22:46):
put those fabric candles in the rubbish bin or find a way to reuse them.
I don't know,
be creative,
reuse that.
Drop off a local kindergarten or?
That's right.
Yeah.
Just be creative.
Find a way to reuse or better avoid them.
Take your own bag to,
you know,
if you're gonna go buy clothes or something like that and,
you know,
for the paper bags that do have those paper handles instead and then you don't have to worry about it,
(23:09):
I think,
don't have to just easy check.
I mean,
after you've used them a few times.
Alrighty.
Well,
I think that covers everything on our paper episode for today.
So thanks for listening to this trash talk episode on paper.
Our next episode is all about the wonderful world of plastics.
Uh We look forward to talking trash with you next time.
(23:30):
Awesome.
See you,
I think.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!