Stumbled upon coated paper that ruins my recycling batch

I was excited to find a bunch of old ledger paper at a flea market for my projects. But when I tried to pulp it for handmade paper, the coating wouldn't break down. Now I have a whole batch that might be contaminated. Does anyone know how to handle coated papers in a sustainable way? I don't want to waste it, but I'm stuck.

3 comments

3 Comments

bethj442mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally feel your pain with that slick coating messing up projects. My art teacher in high school had us use coated magazine pages for decoupage bowls because the pulp thing never worked. Maybe try collage or handmade gift tags instead? Anderson.jason might be right about recycling centers, but honestly I’ve just started using the stuff for scrapbooking or as sturdy covers for homemade journals. The coating actually makes colors pop under mod podge if you seal it right.

anderson.jason2mo ago

Ugh, coated paper is the worst. I read a blog post that said some recycling centers have special processes for it, but it's hit or miss. Have you checked with your local facility yet?

jones.blake2mo ago

My local recycling center in Springfield flat out refuses coated paper. They say the plastic coating gums up their machines. I heard some places have special systems, but what EXACTLY does that process involve? Is it just for certain types of coating, or can they handle all glossy paper? The blog post you mentioned might have details, but I'm skeptical because most facilities are not set up for it. Have you found any centers that actually do this consistently?