Recycling holiday cards and junk mail

November 28 , 2003

Dear Marti,
Are holiday greeting cards recyclable?
Signed,
Jan

Dear Jan,

You're already recycling holiday cards? Wow, you're really ahead of the game. You're right up there with the people already calling to ask where to recycle their Christmas trees. Yes, most greeting cards are recyclable. Those that are not are the cards embossed with metal foil or that have some kind of non-paper decoration glued to them. A common misconception is that glossy cards are non-recyclable, but glossy is just fine with us. The recycling challenge with greeting cards isn't usually the cards, but the envelopes-those dark reds and greens. I've mentioned in previous columns that papers dyed with fluorescent or deep dark colors are major contaminants in your recycled paper, and these reds and greens are exactly the sort of contaminant culprits I'm talking about.

So if you're sending cards this year, please choose those that have white or light-colored envelopes, and please do not recycle any dark colored envelopes you may receive.

Not only is it important to consider whether the cards you choose are recyclable, but also if they're made from recycled content. Look on the back of the box or card to find out. If it doesn't say they're made of recycled paper, they likely were not.

One quick reuse thought: before you recycle a greeting card, you might want to reuse it first by cutting off the cover and using it as a gift tag.

Dear Marti,
Why are we supposed to open our junk mail before we recycle it? Are we really expected to analyze it first and remove plastic "sample" credit cards, etc.?
Thank you,
Wendy G.

Dear Wendy,

We're looking for a quick check, rather than a full-scale analysis, to help ensure that the recyclables we market continue to be among the cleanest in the nation. We ask you to open your junk mail to remove the worst contamination culprits. Those would include the dark colors I mentioned above, non-paper junk like those fake credit cards, and above all, the number one contaminant: stickers!

Checking your mail before you chuck it in the bin is especially important at this time of year when well-meaning groups send you advocacy stickers or sheets of address labels. In the recycling process, these stickers may get screened out, but their glue can still get on the recycled paper fibers. If they do, it's a nightmare for the paper manufacturer. As the new paper comes off the presses and gets set on rolls, it goes whizzing along at great speeds. If there's any glue residue on the new sheet, it can get stuck on the rolls. When it does, there's a terrible ripping sound as yards and yards of beautiful new recycled paper get torn. As you can imagine, paper manufacturers don't like that, so it deters them from using recycled content. We don't like that, and that's why we ask you to open your mail first.

Of course, you can go one step better than recycling and stop junk mail from coming to you in the first place. Visit our website at www.ecocycle.org to learn how a few simple steps can help you take off that "Junk Mail Inspector" hat for good.