Kerbside Collection
You can recycle paper through the collection service using Winchester City Council’s recycling bin.
Clean, dry paper including magazines, newspaper, junk mail & catalogues are accepted.
Please do not place non-recyclable paper in the collection bin. This includes shredded paper; tissues, napkins & paper towels; receipts and other thermal paper print outs; photographs & plastic laminated paper; wallpaper, gift wrap and some greetings cards.
Shredded Paper
The paper strands in shredded paper are too short to be recovered in the recycling process. Shredded paper can be reused as pet bedding, packing for storage, mixing in with cat litter to extend it, making paper mache or using as a fire starter.
Greetings Cards
You can reuse greetings cards and make them into gift tags.
Greetings cards containing foils, glitter, metal charms, felt, plastic windows, batteries or ribbons cannot be recycled. Remove the sections of the cards that cannot be recycled and recycle the rest.
Gift Wrap
If you are careful, wrapping paper can be saved and used again particularly if it initially encased a large gift. It can also be reused for packing, covering books, lining drawers and craft projects.
Most gift wrap cannot be recycled as the paper is too thin or contains contaminants like plastic, foil, dye, glitter and sticky tape.
You can recycle brown paper wrap with natural dyes, just remove any sticky tape first.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper can be reused for lining drawers and craft projects.
Composting
Generally recycling paper is slightly better for the environment than composting.
Some non-recyclable paper can be composted rather than placed in the refuse, for example kitchen towel and tissues are ideal for composting. Shredded paper is also good, provided you didn’t shred coloured or glossy paper which may contain toxins or windowed envelopes which won’t break down.