Shredded Paper.

It's worth checking individual Council requirements. Our shreddings go in the recycling bin, but we tie it up in those charity bags that come through the door to stop it flying everywhere.

Calendargirl it may be that you were putting glossy paper into your compost bin. It doesn't compost well at all in a domestic bin, as I understand it. If it works for you with cardboard and so on, you would probably be fine with unglossy paper shreddings, particularly mixed with grass clippings or other green stuff.

Shredded makes wonderful packing material if you are moving.

Shazmo24

We put our shredded paper into compost bins and never had an issue...if you have never done it how do you know that it won't compost???

We have put it in the compost bin in the past, but certain types of paper never seemed to break down, even after they had been in a long time. It was all shredded up small.

Loo rolls, cardboard, corrugated paper all goes in. My egg boxes are given to a friend with chickens, otherwise they would compost well.

We put our shredded paper into compost bins and never had an issue...if you have never done it how do you know that it won't compost???

I didn't realise that. I alays have put it in the recycling bin. I'll put it in the household bin from now on.

Yes discovered that in lockdown. The bin men wouldn't take my recycling bin as it was full of shredded paper. It clogs the sorting machines they said. Since then I bag it up and put in general waste bin. Local pet places are not keen as its often not the right type and my actual newspaper shreds are given to a friend who makes solid bricks of paper once dried and are then used in their log burning fire or an open grate.

I do not shred. I block any addresses or information with black marker pen and tear into two or three pieces and put in recycling bin.
We have a food waste bin but I have noticed the bin man sometimes puts it in with the ordinary waste.

So let me get this right; we're told that we should recycle as much paper as we possibly can - also that we should shred all paper with any personal information on, in case of ID fraud. THEN we're told that we can't recycle shredded paper..? ?
I've just checked, and by me, we can put shredded paper in the recycling bin - as long as it's contained in a cardboard box - but we're told that boxes must be flattened.... Aaaagh..!!
Sod it, it can all go to landfill...?

Burn it?

Our Council asks that we put shredded paper in the paper waste bag which is then emptied into the recycling lorry which has separate bits for each item food waste, glass, cardboard, plastic and cans and paper. But if you take it to the Council run recycling centre yourself they say it must go in with garden waste.

I don't know whether our council allows shredded paper in any of the bins or not. Our micro-shredder cuts it up into teeny weeny little bits and we mix it into our compost bins. It breaks down completely with the grass clippings. We also add it to the manure mulch that we put on the flower beds, after watering in the mulch it all disappears quickly. Magazines are cut up and rolled to make seed/seedling planters, DH also uses loo roll tubes that way.

Unless something has changed in our area, and I don't know about it, I was told years ago to put shredded paper in a paper bag or cardboard box and put it in the recycle bin. I always label it.

I also label and wrap securely broken glass which goes in the general waste.

I did have a discussion a couple of years ago about our windfall apples. Was told to put them in the compost bin but there were so many I was then told it was OK to put them in the garden waste.

Camelotclub

Slightly off tangent, we put a bag of used batteries on top of the general waste bin, as instructed. I just watched the bin man tip the whole lot into the cart, batteries included! I honestly don't think they care really.

They certainly shouldn’t be doing this. According to our council website, it is ILLEGAL to put batteries in ANY household bin.

They have valuable components that can be reused, plus they are a fire risk. We have had instances of fires at the recycling centres because of batteries in ordinary waste.

They should be taken to a proper Household Waste Disposal Site, or taken to retailers such as Tescos who have appropriate containers for their collection and disposal.

We can put one carrier bagful of shredded paper in the box with other paper, provided the top of the bag is not tied. Not a good idea in windy weather!

Oh and earlier this year DH bought some from more reasons supermarket that weighed a ton! When it dried it was mostly....sand!!! Utter rubbish , I complained got money back and they didn't stock it again.good outcome for all I think!

VickyB

I feed mine to the worms in my worm farm. It's a bit messy damping it down for them but so long as it's mixed with soil and kitchen waste they soon turn it into compost . They turn their noses up at shredded credit cards though

We once bought some bags of supposed potting compost from a huge garden centre that rhymes with bobbies? and NONE of my baskets or tubs flowered in fact they literally curled up and died no matter what I tried! Then on closer I inspection I discovered chips of credit cards, old garden canes and bits of polythene in the compost, we believe it was cheap and nasty made up from landfill waste and never any use as compost! Never been to "bobbies" again!!!!

D#SHRED. Are we ever getting an editing option???

We shared any plain paper and drop into our home compost bin and it mulches down a treat! Never seen it lurking unchanged in my compost at all! It helps balance the wet additions to prevent a soggy black mess, I also put maybe 2of every 3 egg boxes too they're great for soaking up any excessive 'juices' from wet peelings and grass clippings. I can honestly say that I've never put shreddings in any council bin.

We have a separate bin for paper and cardboard and our council ask that 'shredded paper is placed in small cardboard box or paper bag to prevent littering' which is what we do as it can blow around

We used to use shredded paper for chicken bedding, when we had them.

I feed mine to the worms in my worm farm. It's a bit messy damping it down for them but so long as it's mixed with soil and kitchen waste they soon turn it into compost . They turn their noses up at shredded credit cards though

I soak mine in water, squeeze it out, and put it in the non recyclable bin.

Slightly off tangent, we put a bag of used batteries on top of the general waste bin, as instructed. I just watched the bin man tip the whole lot into the cart, batteries included! I honestly don't think they care really.

I’ve always composted shredded paper. Only disaster was maybe 20 years ago when someone shredded something laminated and I had to pick out bits of plastic. I use it both in my compost bin with the kitchen waste and my compost heap for garden waste and it composts perfectly after about 18 months which is how long I usually leave it to break down. It got two years this time as I broke my leg at the 18 month point.