When Is Paper Recyclable? A Complete Guide for New Jersey Residents

If you're wondering when paper is recyclable in New Jersey, you're not alone. With so many different types of paper products in our homes, schools, and offices, it can be confusing to know what belongs in the recycling bin and what doesn’t.

Understanding how paper recycling works is essential to reduce landfill waste, save trees, and support local recycling programs across the Garden State.

In this article, we'll cover what paper can be recycled, what types of paper are not recyclable, how to prepare your paper for recycling in NJ, and what actually happens to it after pickup.

What Paper Can Be Recycled in New Jersey?

Most paper recycling in NJ accepts items that are clean, dry, and free from food residue or plastic coatings. Whether you're participating in curbside recycling or dropping your items off at a local center, the following types of paper are widely accepted:

• Newspapers and magazines

• White and colored office paper

• Flyers, brochures, and junk mail (remove plastic windows)

• Envelopes, sticky notes, and legal pads (no plastic bindings)

• Paperboard packaging like cereal and cracker boxes (unwaxed)

• Corrugated cardboard boxes (flattened for easier transport)

• Paper folders, paperback books, and catalogues

These paper products are considered recyclable in NJ and can be placed in most municipal bins. Always double-check with your local township's recycling rules, as guidelines may vary slightly.

What Paper Is Not Recyclable?

Even though many products are made of paper, not all paper is recyclable. Items that are contaminated, laminated, or treated with chemicals are typically rejected by recycling centers.

Avoid placing these in your bin:

• Pizza boxes with grease and leftover food

• Coffee cups with wax or plastic lining

• Used tissues, paper towels, or napkins

• Receipts printed on thermal paper

• Foil or glittery wrapping paper

• Wax-coated or laminated paper sheets

• Moldy or water-damaged paper

Placing these items in your blue bin can contaminate the recycling stream and cause paper recycling facilities to send entire loads to landfills.

How to Prepare Paper for Recycling

Proper preparation improves the odds that your paper will actually be recycled. Here's how to recycle paper the right way:

1. Keep it clean and dry: Paper soiled by food, liquids, or chemicals cannot be recycled.

2. Remove contaminants: Take out any plastic wrapping, tape, stickers, or bindings.

3. Flatten boxes: Helps with transport and prevents jammed machinery.

4. Do not shred paper unless necessary: Shredded paper often becomes too small to process.

5. Don’t bag recyclables in plastic: Use a bin or paper bag instead.

   
   

Following these steps ensures that your paper products meet the standards of curbside recycling programs and contribute to a cleaner recycling stream.

What Happens to Recycled Paper in New Jersey?

Understanding the paper recycling process helps you appreciate how your efforts make a real impact.

1. Collection

Paper is collected from residential bins or drop-off centers by municipal or private haulers.

2. Sorting at MRFs (Material Recovery Facilities)

At the recycling center, items are sorted by machine and hand to separate paper from other recyclables.

3. Baling and Shipping

Clean paper is compressed into bales and shipped to paper mills or nearby states.

4. Pulping and De-Inking

At the mill, paper is mixed with water to create pulp. Ink, glue, and coatings are filtered out.

5. Manufacturing

Recycled pulp is turned into new products like:

• Newspaper and office paper

• Paper towels and tissue

• Cardboard packaging and filler materials

Your recycled paper supports a circular economy in NJ, reducing the demand for virgin materials.

Common Paper Recycling Mistakes

Recycling errors reduce the efficiency of New Jersey’s recycling systems. Here are the most common mistakes people make:

• Tossing in food-soiled paper

• Recycling glossy or laminated wrapping paper

• Including thermal receipts

• Shredding paper when it's not required

• Bagging paper in plastic grocery bags

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Avoiding these mistakes improves the quality of recyclable paper and keeps local recycling programs running efficiently.

Why Paper Recycling Matters

Recycling paper benefits both the environment and the economy. Here's why:

Environmental Benefits

• Saves trees and natural resources

• Reduces energy usage during manufacturing

• Keeps recyclable materials out of NJ landfills

• Decreases greenhouse gas emissions

Economic Benefits

• Supports over 27,000 recycling-related jobs in NJ

• Reduces municipal waste disposal costs

• Promotes innovation in the recycling industry

Since the Mandatory Recycling Act of 1987, New Jersey paper recycling regulations require that all residents, schools, and businesses recycle paper, cardboard, and other materials.

Recycle Paper the Right Way

Whether you’re cleaning out your home office, managing waste at a school, or setting up recycling for your business, it’s important to know when paper is recyclable. By learning which types of paper are recyclable and how to properly prepare them, you can help reduce landfill waste, save energy, and support a cleaner environment.

Let’s make New Jersey a leader in sustainable recycling practices—one sheet of paper at a time.

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🌿 About ReGenesis Materials

As a Class A recycling facility based in Voorhees, NJ, ReGenesis Materials processes high-volume recyclables like cardboard, aluminum, paper, plastic, and glass. We partner with municipalities, haulers, and businesses to ensure material recovery is clean, compliant, and sustainable.

Interested in a recycling partnership or educational outreach? Contact us today to schedule a site tour or set up a program for your building, office park, or community.