Paper and card collection

The paper and card collection allows households to dispose of accepted items made from paper or card.

The items need to be placed into the green-lidded paper and card bin for collection.

Paper and card is collected every three weeks - check your collection day and schedule

Items must be:

• empty – no contents left on or inside the items
• clean and dry – no items with food, oil, or grease still on them
• loose – don’t bag the items that go in the bin

Please flatten all boxes and packaging, and remove tape and staples.

Only put the following items in the green-lidded paper and card bin:

Paper

• books (hardbacks and paperbacks)
• envelopes (the transparent/plastic window can be left attached)
• leaflets and junk mail
• letters
• magazines
• newspapers
• receipts
• scrap paper
• wrapping paper (apart from glittery or foil types)

Card

• cardboard boxes
• cereal boxes
• egg boxes
• greeting cards (apart from those with glitter, foil, plastic, or embellishments on them)
• packaging
• punnets
• toilet and kitchen roll tubes
• sleeves (e.g. those around ready meals)

Shredded paper

Please wrap shredded paper in newspaper, or put in a paper bag or envelope. This helps prevent the shredded paper from spilling onto the road when the bin is emptied.

If an item is not listed above, please keep it out of the paper and card bin.

If a bin contains a non-accepted item, it will not be emptied.

Never put the following items in the green-lidded paper and card bin:

• baking/greaseproof paper
• cardboard tubes with foil lining or metal bases (e.g. old-style Pringles, gravy, and hot chocolate packaging)
• cartons/Tetra Pak
• items that contain remnants of food waste, oil, or grease (e.g. soiled fast-food containers)
• laminated paper
• photographs
• used tissues and kitchen roll
• wipes

You may wish to keep the extra waste safe, and put it into the bin once empty.

Paper and card can also be taken to a Suffolk Recycling Centre

Cardboard boxes that are too big to fit into the paper and card bin should be flattened, with all packaging removed. Place the flattened cardboard by the green-lidded bin on your paper and card collection day. We are unable to collect soaked card, so would advise not to leave cardboard outside of the bin if it is due to rain.

If your paper and card bin is often full before collection day, you can request an additional or larger green-lidded bin

Please note that any paper and card left by the bin in any type of plastic sacks will not be collected.

Paper and card is taken to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Great Blakenham.

At the facility, paper and card is baled, and then sent to paper merchants for recycling.

As the items do not go through a sorting process, it is vital that only accepted paper and card is put into the green-lidded bin, and is not placed in plastic sacks.

To find out more, please visit the Suffolk Recycles website

The Government's Simpler Recycling policy requires all councils to collect paper and card separate from other recyclable items.

This is because when paper and card are collected along with other items like glass and plastics, they can get damaged or contaminated. Therefore, reducing its recycling quality and value.

Keeping paper and card separate means they can be recycled more effectively and are worth more when sold for recycling.