Paper: Better to Recycle or Compost?

After doing a number of  composting seminars this spring, I was asked this question a few times: is it better to recycle paper or compost paper? Well, the way I always respond is "it depends on what type of paper!" So here are my thoughts on a few paper products and if they should be composted or recycled.

Office Paper - RECYCLE. Office paper tends to have high quality fibers that can be used multiple times through the recycling process. Plus, when office paper gets damp during the composting process it tends to clump.

Newspaper - COMPOST. Newspaper is made mostly of recycled content already and the fibers of the paper are poor quality, which is not great when trying to process during recycling.

Cardboard - RECYCLE. Cardboard is a very valuable recyclable in the economy and would be best suited to turn into something new rather than into a soil amendment.

Magazine - RECYCLE. To achieve the shiny gloss of your magazines, companies coat the paper with synthetic materials. Thus, they are better for your recycling cart rather than the compost bin.

Paper Cartons - RECYCLE. The paper cartons we can recycle in Hamilton County tend to be made of virgin paper, which can be recycled multiple times and is valuable to the paper industry. Some paper cartons are also lined with foil and plastic, which are removed when recycled but won't break down in your compost bin.

Paper Egg Carton - COMPOST. When you look at the paper egg carton you can see all the fibers and it has that grainy look to it. This indicates to us that it is a lower quality paper and would be better suited for composting. 

So, when making the decision to recycle or compost, keep these tips in mind. Also, remember that other non-recyclable paper types can be composted when they are free of cleaners and grease, such as paper towel, tissues, and paper plates.

Guest Blogger, Angela Rivera