Everything you need to know about recycling paper and cardboard
Paper and Cardboard includes:
Mixed paper
NewspapersÂ
Magazines
Waxed cardboard
Egg carton
Envelopes
Pizza boxes
Phone books
Yellow pages
White pages
Which bin does it go in?
Learn more about recycling paper and cardboard
How to recycle paper and cardboard
Almost all Australians can recycle paper and cardboard in their recycling bins at home. Check directly with your council if you are unsure.
Follow these recycling tips for paper and cardboard:
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Make sure paper and cardboard is clean and dry before putting it in the recycling bin
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Flatten paper and cardboard to make it as easy as possible for the recyclers
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By flattening the paper and cardboard, it will take up less space in bins and trucks, and it will also make sure the paper and cardboard moves through the sorting process at the recycling facility without issue
Why recycle?
Paper and cardboard can be recycled many times (approximately seven or eight times before the fibres become too small to use again). Most cardboard is actually produced from recycled paper.
When paper is sent to landfill rather than recycled, it creates methane as it breaks down. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide and a major contributor to global warming.
Recycling paper and cardboard provides businesses with access to recycled materials, so they don’t have to cut down trees to make their products. According to Sustainability Victoria, manufacturing recycled paper can use up to 90% less water and 50% less energy than making it from trees.
What happens to it?
Paper and cardboard can be recycled into many types of products including toilet paper and egg cartons. Once your household recycling bin is collected, recyclables are taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where they are sorted into different materials. The cardboard is sorted into bales and then sent to reprocessing facilities where the fibres in the cardboard are recycled and turned into new materials.
During the recycling process, the cardboard fibres are separated and turned into a pulp, which is then de-inked, cleaned, and made into new sheets of paper, which can be used to make new paper products such as cardboard boxes.
How to recycle phone books
Phone books (Yellow Pages and White Pages) can be recycled in household recycling bins in most council areas around Australia. Check directly with your council if you are unsure.
If the phone book is inside a plastic covering, remove the plastic before recycling the phone book (the plastic should be placed in the bin unless you have access to soft plastics recycling).
If you no longer use your phone book, you can cancel your order so you will stop receiving them.
How to recycle envelopes
Envelopes that are made of paper can be recycled in household recycling bins in most council areas in Australia. Check directly with your council if you are unsure.
Envelopes with a plastic window can also be recycled via your recycling bin at home.
How to recycle newspaper and magazines
Newspapers and magazines that are made of paper can be recycled in household recycling bins in most council areas in Australia. Check directly with your council if you are unsure.
Can shredded paper be recycled?
No, shredded paper should not be put in your recycling bin. Paper that has been shredded will likely not be sorted correctly at the recycling facility where it could contaminate other materials like plastic. Shredded paper should be put in your garbage bin.
If you have a compost at home, you can add the shredded paper to your compost.
Using recycled paper
Purchasing recycled paper for your home office or workplace is a great way to help the planet. It supports the recycling industry by closing the recycling loops and keeps paper and cardboard out of landfill.
Using recycled paper saves trees. According to Sustainability Victoria, using 100 reams of recycled office paper (printed doubled-sided) instead of virgin paper or paper that hasn’t been printed on double-sided will save:
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two trees
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more than one tonne of greenhouse gas
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almost a cubic metre of landfill space
Frequently Asked Questions
How is cardboard recycled?
Most councils accept cardboard in household recycling bins (provided the cardboard is not waxed, such as fruit and vegetable boxes).
Once your household recycling bin is collected, recyclables are sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The cardboard is sorted into bales and then sent to reprocessing facilities where the fibres in the cardboard are recycled and turned into new materials.
During the recycling process, the cardboard fibres are separated and turned into a pulp, which is then de-inked, cleaned, and made into new sheets of paper, which can be used to make new paper products such as cardboard boxes.
What does cardboard get recycled into?
Most cardboard is readily recyclable, so it is important to remember to place it in your household recycling bin, where possible.
Compared with other paper-based products, cardboard is made from relatively low-quality fibres. Therefore, paper sheets made from recycled cardboard can only be used to make more cardboard, or to make materials which require lower quality paper fibres. Products made from recycled cardboard include cardboard boxes, egg cartons and cat litter.
What are egg cartons made out of?
Egg cartons are generally made from paperboard or cardboard – excitingly, most egg cartons are made from 100% recycled paper pulp.
Are egg cartons compostable?
Yes – egg cartons can be placed in your home compost bin.You may also be able to compost them via your household FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) bin, if your council offers this service. Check directly with your council.
How is paper recycled?
Paper is one of the most recycled materials in the world. Most types of paper are recyclable, provided the right recycling infrastructure is in place. If you have a recycling bin at home, paper and cardboard items that are generally accepted include packaging such as cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, pieces of paper, phone books, magazines and newspapers.
Once paper is collected from your household recycling bin, it is sent to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where it is separated from other recyclables and sorted into bales. The paper bales are then sent on to paper re-processors and recycled into new materials to be manufactured into products such as paper towel.
The first step in the paper recycling process is pulping, where the paper is mixed with water at high speed to break up the paper fibres. Any unwanted materials such as staples, plastic, glass and string are removed from the pulp via screening and filtering machines. The next step is de-inking, where the pulp is heated and treated to remove any ink. Finally, the clean pulp is ready to be turned into new paper – in this step, the pulp is diluted with water and mixed with paper-making chemicals and then pressed and dried into sheets.
Many products can be made from recycled paper, including office paper, toilet rolls and cardboard boxes.
If you’re interested in learning more about where your paper goes once you pop it in your household recycling bin, you can contact your local council for more information – some councils offer tours of their Materials Recovery Facilities.
How many times can paper be recycled?
Paper is not infinitely recyclable (meaning it cannot be recycled over and over again without loss to its quality; it can only be recycled a number of times). With each round of recycling, the paper fibres shorten which reduces paper quality. Most paper can be recycled between four to eight times before the fibres become too short to be used in new products.
Using recycled paper instead of paper made from new materials places less demand on natural resources (such as trees) and requires less water and energy to produce. Therefore, it is important to recycle your paper products and also buy paper products made from recycled paper.
