Yes, you can (most of the envelope and most of the time). It may seem obvious but people are asking this question and considering the different components of an envelope, rightly so.
Components of your typical envelope:
| Material | Recyclable? |
| Paper | Yes |
| Glue fixing | No* |
| Stamp | Yes** |
| Address window | No* |
*Not in most cases, although there are exceptions. Ask your local authority to find out if they take glue covered paper. While you’re at it ask them if the paper recycling takes that shiny paper, so you’ll know if you can recycle junk mail envelopes.
**For more information on recycling stamps check out the recyclenow website, which also has lots more great information on things you can and can’t recycle.
How to recycle your envelopes
Remove the see-through plastic address window and the glue covered seal. Use them to build a statue of yourself in the office or model cars using the see through plastic for windows and the glued seals for fixings and structure. Recycle the rest in the paper recycling.
Other suggestions for your envelopes
- Shopping lists — you may be able to use the sticky part to stick them to your fridge
- Re-use the ones with plastic windows (if you carefully open them)
- Put them under the short leg of a wonky table
- Use them for the storage/categorization of small things like newspaper clippings
- Start a flip book cartoon using one envelope a day
100% recyclable envelopes
You might prefer to save the statue making and cartoon drawing to the professionals. However, unless you have 100% recyclable envelopes it can be just as time consuming to recycle the envelopes.
There are some envelopes available that use a corn-based film for the address window, which dissolves in water, but these are few and far between.
If you’re sending mail that does not require a see through plastic address window there are 100% recyclable envelopes available (from us), which are also compostable and biodegradable.
How do you re-use your envelopes?
Model paper sail boats? To-do lists? Let us know in your comments.
Please do not print this page
115 billion sheets of paper are used annually for PC printers.
Source: id2.ca/downloads/eco-design-paper-facts.pdf
NaturalFineFurnishings
We at Natural Fine Furnishings are a sustainable company (we create hand-made eco-friendly furniture and decor from Thailand). We are always looking for ways to make our office more eco-friendly. I haven’t heard of using old envelopes as scrap paper but will defiantly spread the word in our office. Thanks for blogging about this topic! Feel free to check out our website at http://www.naturalfinefurnishings.com.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:06 pmRichard
We use ours at home as shopping lists. At work, we use them to take stock of the recycled computers we have. We also put the vast bulk of them through the shredder for use as packaging materials around computer components that are posted to customers. We re-use jiffy bags for postage.
Richard
http://www.it-green.co.uk
September 8th, 2008 at 5:31 amJulie
I reuse envelopes for use in the “internal post” which runs between the school and other schools and the LEA departments.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:46 amUr Gay
Im doing a assignment on recycling NOW !!!!
LMFAOO
November 12th, 2008 at 4:49 amJill Westgarth
I feel so strongly that unless recycling is made much easier for everyone – and in all types of area – we will never meet the targets that have been set. If you’re someone who doesn’t believe in recycling, you’re unlikely to go through all the faff of tearing out the windows and disposing of them in some other way – it’s just unrealistic to expect it. Also, in a rural area, you then have the job of trailing all these mangled envelopes to the nearest recycling point – in our case in Highland Scotland that’s a 24 mile round trip plus a ferry!! I’m tempted to add, when you get there, the facilities are full or there’s a gale blowing all the stuff around – why can’t we just ban envelopes with windows until recycling technology catches up?
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:15 pmmarvin
I always thought you could simply add them to the paper recycling bins provided in most offices. We have always removed any windows and even the glue adhesive from gummed envelopes that we get and added them to the bin with all the other paper based office supplies.
December 17th, 2008 at 6:13 pmi can be a nightmare knowing what consumables you can and cannot recycled these days, we get through thousands of pounds worth of office supplies, somehow it feels like you are doing your bit when things go in the recycled bin afterwards.
http://www.officeprofiles.com/c-office-envelopes-81.aspx
Stamper
How are stamps recyclable? They have adhesive on the back don’t they?
August 5th, 2009 at 9:31 pmStacey
We are a coach company in Staffordshire – we are about a 2 mile drive from the local “tip”, the bin men don’t take our recycling just the general rubbish as we are out of the way. We have a box under a desk in a back office where we put recycling…. when we get the post i go through it after each letter i cut the stamp out, rip the glue off and tear the window out (if needed), pile it up and then put the paper in the recycling box and the gluey bits and windows in the bin. Its not a difficult job and as the post used to take 5 minutes it now takes 10. So its not too difficult. We don’t use the envelopes for scrap just so we have a more professional look in the office.
But its not too difficult to seperate all the parts of the envelope to recycle, especially if its helping the environment…
September 16th, 2009 at 10:15 amComputer Recycling
We shred our envelopes and reuse them as an effective packaging filler. Saves us having to purchase foam inserts or fillers.
June 6th, 2011 at 9:40 pmComputer Recycling
We shred our envelopes and reuse them as an effective packaging filler. Saves us having to purchase foam inserts or fillers. http://www.ecoitonline.co.uk
June 6th, 2011 at 9:41 pm