To shred or not to shred?

Before going on an end-of-year document-shredding spree, check to see if shredded paper is accepted by your local curbside pickup program and consider other ways to creatively recycle it.

Wed, Dec 22 2010 at 6:14 PM

Related Topics:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Waste

How to recycle/reuse shredded household paper.

Photo: mhaw/Flickr

Earlier this week, I decamped from Brooklyn to spend a little QT with my parents in Tacoma, Wash., much like I do every holiday season. So far, I’ve spent a fair amount of time catching up with my family (aka bickering with my younger brother), sleeping in a bit (what a treat!), watching trash TV (so many channels!), and helping my mother find tree-appropriate LED holiday lights (thanks, Martha Stewart!) I’ve also spent a whole lot of time shredding. Yep, shredding.

Here’s the thing: While helping my mom straighten out the rather cluttered dining room, she brought to my attention a large cardboard box filled to the brim with shred-worthy documents of all sorts … receipts, invoices, insurance, bank, and utility statements, and about 500 Nordstrom charge card bills dating back at least 15 years. “Want to shred the stuff in the box?” she asked probably thinking that I’d say hell no, absolutely not.

Well, being the thoughtful and industrious son that I am, I said yes. And since then, I’ve been pretty much been plopped down in the living room, shredding my winter vacation away (where's that coffee table with a built-in shredder when I need it!?)

Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m finding it rather cathartic, and I like having a mission. Even if that mission involves sitting in my parents’ living room watching “Wife Swap “and feeding cell phone bills from 2004 into the mouth of a shredder (yes, my parents’ shredder lives in the living room).

Although the city of Tacoma accepts shredded paper through its curbside recycling program (the shredded paper must be placed within a paper bag), it occurred to me that many other municipal curbside programs don’t allow shredded paper because it’s impossible to sort, can be filled with non-recyclable contaminants, and is considered as a low-quality recyclable commodity. So what to do if you have stacks of paperwork containing sensitive info that you want to shred but can’t add to your recycling bin?

First off, I’d consider switching over to paperless billing to keep household paper waste in check. Next, I’d inquire with the local solid waste department to see what rules apply to the recycling of shredded paper. If you can’t place it in your recycling bin, you may be able to unload it in person at a recycling center. Or they may just tell you to toss it in the trash.

And then there are a few other ways to recycle and reuse household shredded paper (some of them very appropriate for this time of year) to consider if you too are spending the holidays at your parents’ house, shredding their old credit card statements while watching trash TV:

• Packing material (for all those Christmas returns!)

• Bedding material for small animals. (If you don't have a pet, you may be able to donate it to a local pet store.).

• Compost heap additive

• Backyard chicken coop nesting material

• Worm bin liner

• Kitty litter box odor controller

• Christmas ornament protector

• Effigy, scarecrow or piñata filler

• Fire starter (make a shredded paper fire log!)

Know of another way to reuse shredded paper? Please tell me about them in the comments section. I gotta run now … the shredder awaits.

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

Previous Post
Recycled plastic bottle Christmas tree elicits wows, deep thoughts

Next Post
Sierra Bonita: Affordable green housing in WeHo

You might also like:

Join the conversation

Comments: 2

Loni Henning Apr 02 2011 at 10:24 AM

My sister in law new she would be moving accross country, so she saved her shredding to pack her dishes and collectables.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Irene Simpson Feb 24 2011 at 8:03 PM

This is not for shredded paper, but is a good way to recycle newspaper. A layer of at least six sheets arranged in a flower or shrubbery bed (it can be torn to fit around stems and or trunds and then covered with your usual mulch will almost completely stop weed growth. Over a period of several years, newspaper will disentegrate and enrich the soil and will need to be replace.. It not only emimnates the weed growth, it holds moisture. There is no need to remove existing unwanted growth....Just

.... More

bend the plants down and place the paper and mulch over them. These plants will "compost" themselves abd thus enrich the soil.