Disposal guide

How to recycle shredded paper

Quick answer

Can you put shredded paper in the curbside recycling bin?

Usually no. Most single-stream MRFs reject loose shredded paper because the fibers are too short to recycle into new paper and the strips jam sorting equipment. Bag it in clear or paper and check with your hauler — many accept it bagged, and most counties also accept it at compost or community shred events.

When paper is shredded into thin strips it falls through optical sorters, blows into other commodity streams, and contaminates the glass and aluminum bales. The paper fiber itself has also been cut so short that mills cannot use it to make new paper — every pass through a shredder weakens the cellulose. Some haulers accept shredded paper if it is sealed inside a clear plastic bag or stapled paper bag labeled "SHREDDED PAPER," but acceptance varies by facility. The safer routes are backyard or municipal compost (paper is a carbon source) and free community shred events.

Loose in curbside bin	Usually rejected — jams sorters
Bagged + labeled (clear/paper bag)	Hauler-dependent — call to confirm
Backyard or municipal compost	Accepted — paper is a carbon source
Community shred event	Free, secure, batch-recycled by an industrial mill

Below is the reason MRFs reject loose strips, plus the three alternatives that actually work for households with a stack of old tax returns to get rid of.

Does your hauler accept bagged shredded paper?

Type your ZIP at /check and we will show the verified local rule plus the nearest compost drop-off or community shred event. Free, no signup.

Why MRFs reject loose shredded paper

A modern single-stream material recovery facility (MRF) is a conveyor system built around optical sorters, screens, and air-classifiers tuned for whole objects: a soup can, a milk jug, an unfolded cereal box. Shredded paper breaks every one of those assumptions. Strips are small enough to fall through the disc-screens used to separate cardboard from containers, they get blown into the glass stream by the air-classifier, and they coat the optical sorter lenses with paper dust.

There is a second reason mills do not want it: paper fiber shortens every time it is recycled, and a shredder cuts it short before the mill even sees it. By the time those strips reach a pulper, the fiber is often too degraded to bond into new paper. ISRI (the U.S. recycling-industry trade group) classifies shredded office paper as a low-grade input that most domestic mills no longer buy as a separate commodity.

Option 1: bag it and call your hauler

Some single-stream programs accept shredded paper if it is fully contained. Place the shreds in a clear plastic bag or a stapled paper bag, label it "SHREDDED PAPER" in marker, and put it in the recycling cart on your normal pickup day. The container keeps the strips from blowing into other commodity streams.

Confirm before you do this. The acceptance rule is set by the MRF your hauler delivers to, not by the city. Call your hauler's customer service line and ask: "do you accept shredded paper bagged?" If the answer is no, move on to Option 2 or 3 — leaving it loose in the cart will just contaminate the rest of the load.

Option 2: compost it

Shredded paper is one of the best carbon ("brown") inputs a backyard compost bin can take. The strips break down quickly, balance out kitchen-scrap nitrogen, and discourage flies and odor. The same is true for municipal organics programs that accept yard waste — most Twin Cities organics carts list shredded non-glossy paper as an accepted material. Avoid glossy magazine paper, thermal receipts, and anything with a heavy ink load; standard white office paper and brown bag paper are ideal.

Option 3: a free community shred event

Banks, credit unions, and AARP Tax-Aide host free public shred events most often in April (post-tax-season) and again in October. A locked industrial truck shreds your documents on-site and bales the output for an industrial paper mill that is equipped to handle short fibers. This is also the right route for anything sensitive: medical records, old W-2s, expired account statements. Search "free shred event near me" plus your county name a week or two before tax day or in early fall.

The shred-free alternative

For low-sensitivity mail — envelopes, junk catalogs, old utility bills with just a name on them — consider skipping the shredder entirely. Tear off and burn or compost any window-envelope return address, then place the rest of the envelope into mixed paper whole. Whole paper is a high-value commodity at every MRF; shredded paper is a problem at most. The more of your paper stream you can keep whole, the cleaner the bale your hauler ships out.

Step-by-step: bag, label, drop

1. Sort by sensitivity. Documents with account numbers or SSNs go to a shred event. Old envelopes and junk mail can usually go whole into mixed paper.
2. Bag the shreds. Use a clear plastic bag or a stapled paper bag — anything that keeps the strips contained from cart to sorter.
3. Label the bag. Write "SHREDDED PAPER" in marker on the outside so the MRF operators can route it correctly (or pull it for compost).
4. Confirm + place. Check your hauler's accepted-list at /check with your ZIP. If shredded paper is not accepted, take it to compost or hold for the next community shred event.

Frequently asked

Can I put shredded paper in my curbside recycling bin?

Usually no. Most MRFs reject loose shredded paper because the strips jam optical sorters and contaminate other commodity streams. Some haulers accept it bagged in clear or paper bags — call your hauler to confirm before putting it in the cart.

Why is shredded paper a problem at the recycling facility?

Two reasons: (1) the fibers are cut too short to be made into new paper, so domestic paper mills will not buy it as a clean commodity; and (2) loose strips fall through screens and blow into the glass and aluminum streams, contaminating bales of other materials.

Can I compost shredded paper instead?

Yes — shredded non-glossy paper is one of the best carbon (brown) inputs for backyard compost. It also balances out kitchen-scrap nitrogen in municipal organics carts that accept yard waste. Avoid glossy magazine paper and thermal receipts.

Are free community shred events safe and worth using?

Yes. Banks, credit unions, and AARP Tax-Aide host free public shred events most often in April and October. A locked industrial shredder operates on-site, and the output goes to an industrial paper mill equipped to handle short fibers. This is the right route for sensitive documents.

What about envelopes — do I need to shred them?

For low-sensitivity mail (just a name and address, no account numbers), no. Tear off any window-envelope return address if you want, then place the rest of the envelope into mixed paper whole. Whole paper is a high-value commodity at every MRF.

Can shredded paper go in the compost bin if it has staples?

Backyard compost: pull staples first. Municipal organics: usually fine — the curing process at large composting sites removes metal. Glossy or heavily-inked paper should be kept out of compost regardless of staples.

How should I get rid of old tax returns?

Hold them until the next free community shred event in your area (typically April or October). A locked truck shreds them on-site and recycles the output through an industrial mill. This is safer than home shredding plus curbside, because the strips never go through a MRF.

Check your local rule before you bag

Shredded-paper acceptance varies by the MRF your hauler delivers to, not by city. We will give you the specific rule for your ZIP — and the next free shred event nearby — in seconds.

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