The problems echoed those reported by paper mills last year, who claimed that increasing levels of shredded paper reduced the material's quality and made it harder to recycle (see letsrecycle.com story).
However, Telford and Wrekin council's rubbish and recycling team has now struck a deal with collection contractors Telford and Wrekin Services (TWS) and their paper re-proceccors to help resolve the issue.
Shredded paper can now be accepted as long as it is placed in sealed envelopes and inside the red recycling box for collection, which stops it from clogging up machinery such as conveyor belts.
Although the council would not officially say who their reprocessor was, letsrecycle.com understands that the material is going to the UPM Shotton paper mill in North East Wales.
It is recommended that this paper is put out as regularly as possible, to help ensure the service is not overwhelmed. Residents are urged to recycle old envelopes for this purpose but not to reveal their addresses.
Andrew Eade, leader of the council, said: “Sadly, we are hearing more and more stories of identity fraud cause by criminals rifling through our rubbish and recycling and more people are now using shredders as a means of preventing these types of crimes.
“Until now we have been unable to collect shredded paper, but following talks with SITA, we have come up with a solution which allows homeowners to look after their privacy at the same time as caring for the planet,” he added.
Telford & Wrekin Council operates an alternating collection scheme, with refuse collected one week and recyclables the next. Recyclables are collected in a red box and garden waste is collected in a green wheelie bin.
The council reported a 34.9% recycling rate in 2006/07.
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