Why recycle paper and card separately?
Most waste from the retail and office sector businesses consist of paper and cardboard. It would be a shame to mix this high-quality material with other recyclables. Doing so will require extensive sorting afterwards with loss of quality as a result. As such, it is a legal requirement to ensure that paper and cardboard are not mixed with other rubbish. See here for some background information.
Only by segregating paper/cardboard from other materials you can ensure they are recycled properly and to a high standard. We pride ourselves on collecting large volumes of paper/cardboard from Westminster businesses each year which is all recycled back into new paper in Kent. Our collection service can be tailored so keeping paper/cardboard separate will not take up extra space.
It is better for the environment as well as your wallet to keep larger volumes of paper and cardboard separate for recycling. Paper and cardboard recycling collections are also a lot more cost-effective than getting rid of it as mixed recycling or general waste. Prices start from as little as 50 pence.
WHAT PAPER AND CARD ITEMS CAN BE RECYCLED?
- Office paper
- Envelopes
- Folders
- Cardboard boxes
- Junk mail
- Birthday/greeting cards
- Wrapping paper
- Newspapers and magazines
- Shredded paper
- Card and cardboard
BENEFITS OF USING OUR PAPER AND CARD RECYCLING SERVICES
- Our paper and cardboard recycling service is not just suitable for retailers and offices but also for hospitality and businesses who produce large volumes of paper and cardboard waste.
- We are flexible. Our collection service can be tailored so keeping paper and cardboard separate won’t take up extra space.
- We dispose of your waste locally - approximately 8km from Westminster.
- Our collection vehicles are low emission or fully electric.
- We are based in Westminster and don’t travel long distances to collect your paper and card recycling, minimising vehicle movement.
- We are reliable. Our collection crews have a 24/7 presence in Westminster. We are never far away from your business to help you.
- Segregated recycling services are more cost-effective for you
Get started with paper/cardboard recycling collections
Step 1
Get started with bins
We strongly recommend using one of our paper and cardboard recycling bins or a cardboard baler. Balers compact boxes and paper into small cubes (bales) which can be easily handled and do not take up extra space. They are the best way to have your paper and cardboard collected. We can supply bins and balers so bulky materials such as cardboard don’t get in the way of the day to day running of your business. They come in big and small sizes depending on how much of it you produce. Just contact us to set up a collection agreement.
Small amounts of cardboard, provided it’s neatly bundled and with a cardboard sticker attached, can also be presented for recycling at the same time as your blue recycling bags. You can order these stickers online.
Step 2
Sort your waste into the right bin
Not everything can or should be recycled. Putting the wrong materials into your paper and cardboard recycling can cause entire truckloads to be rejected. The most common contaminants found in paper and card recycling loads are black bags, food waste, food-soiled packaging (pizza/ sandwich/ take-away food boxes), wooden/plastic crates, sanitary/ hygiene waste (e.g. paper towels, napkins etc), hazardous waste such as batteries and paint, bulky items and electrical appliances. This waste is best collected through our general waste collections instead.
For more information on how to properly segregate waste, download out waste goes where guide.
Step 3
We collect your paper and card
Waste bins are ideal for businesses that have enough storage space to keep the container off the street. They are the preferred way of collecting rubbish and recycling. Whatever your requirements, we can tailor a solution to suit you with our range of wheeled bins, compactors or baling machines. Click the button below to set up a collection agreement.
Step 4
Your paper and card recycling is sent for processing
All of the segregated paper and cardboard that we collect is taken to DS Smith’s Kemsley Paper Mill where it is turned into new packaging material.
As one of Europe’s largest cardboard and paper recyclers, DS Smith specialises in closed-loop recycling solutions, meaning cardboard can be back on the shop shelf within 14 days.
With the aim of turning 100% of the resources Westminster City Council delivers to the mill into something useful, it turns your paper and cardboard waste into the following:
- Corrugated case materials – high-quality sustainable papers for modern packaging
- Speciality papers – adapted to a number of markets including construction, tissues, food manufacturing, stationery, and education
- Light-medium – the first recycled lightweight paper manufactured in the UK
OUR RESOURCES
Learn more about managing paper and cardboard recycling in Westminster
1
The ultimate guide to real recycling for businesses in Westminster
Discover how your business can improve how it recycles and manages its waste and become more environmentally sustainable with our recycling guide for Westminster businesses.
The guide includes:
- How to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover waste
- Getting started with recycling
- Choosing Westminster City Council as your commercial waste collector
- Disposing of waste during events
- Recycling special materials
- Creating and implementing a waste management plan
- Segregating waste and tackling contamination
- Further support for your business
2
Recycling poster
Our paper and recycling waste poster gives you all the basic facts you need to make sure you’re recycling as effectively as possible.
Download now
3
Sustainability guide
We have created this Sustainability Guide as an overview of the topic with suggestions as to what your organisation can do to deliver your services and products in a more sustainable way.
Download now
4
Waste audit
Our waste management audit will allow our expert to identify the services that your business requires. They will come to your premises at a time that suits you and provide you with valuable insight into how you can take you waste management to the next level.
Book now
WHERE WE WORK
Areas of operation
Whilst we only offer our services to businesses in Westminster, we can help you to find the best waste services possible if you are not in the area. This means that if you are a chain with multiple locations in London and across the country, we can still help you through our partnership with Veolia.