How to recycle packaging?

Packaging is usually made of strong and elastic materials to protect your products from impacts and shocks. That’s why it can be difficult to recycle packaging properly. In this post, we focus on how you can recycle and dispose of packaging in a safe and environmentally friendly way. We will focus on bubble wrap, foam wrap and paper protectors. Protecting your products is a top priority for us at RAJA, which is what makes fillers and protectors one of our most important and popular areas.

Can bubble wrap be recycled?

Answer yes, bubble wrap can be recycled. It is sorted as plastic at your local recycling station. Also keep in mind that bubble wrap has a long shelf life and can be reused just as it is, the next time you need a flexible filling material with good protection. It’s a good idea to keep bubble wrap at home, maybe it can come in handy for your next move?

Tip: if you use bubble wrap yourself in your business, choose environmentally friendly bubble wrap that is made from 70% recycled material.

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Can bubble envelopes be recycled?

Bubble envelopes, padded envelopes and ordinary paper envelopes (with or without a plastic window) all have in common that they are sorted as combustible, and should therefore be thrown away in the bin. They cannot be recycled so that the material can be used again, only recycled for energy. The reason why envelopes should not be put in the paper collection, as many people may think, is that the glue on envelopes does not dissolve at the paper mill but instead forms lumps, resulting in a poorer quality recycled material. However, for envelopes containing plastic, you can remove the plastic part and sort it as plastic.

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Is foam wrap recyclable?

You can definitely recyclefoam, you sort it as plastic at the recycling station. This material comes in different thicknesses, from thick rigid foam packing sheets to thin, flexible foam sheets. The latter can sometimes be mistaken for paper, so be careful there.

Are packing chips recyclable?

Packing chips are a classic filling material that you’ve probably come across. These small but strong balls provide great protection while being incredibly lightweight. But can they be recycled? Yes, they are biodegradable and can be both recycled and reused. Depending on what the packing chips are made of, they should be sorted as either plastic (white Flo pak standard packing chips made from 100% recycled foamed polystyrene) or food waste (green Flo pak natural packing chips made from biodegradable corn starch, which decomposes with water and leaves no toxic waste).

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Can paper protectors be recycled?

Kraft paper, rolls of tissue, shredded paper and tissue paper are all examples of paper protectors. Disposing of paper packaging is easy. This material is 100% recyclable and is sorted as paper packaging at the recycling station, so it can be recycled into new strong paper material if handed in. The majority of paper protection products sold by RAJA are made from 100% recycled paper (the entire product is made from old paper products).

Paper protection is clearly one of our favourite protection materials because it is both lightweight, easy to store and can be used for all kinds of applications. Everything from wrapping, filling and protection to wrapping, presentation and decoration. If your company has a high consumption of filling materials, we recommend checking out our paper and air filling machines.

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Want help choosing packaging for your business?

RAJA are specialists in packaging and wrapping. On our website you will find everything you need in packaging, from boxes and cartons to fillers and protectors, and more. Feel free to contact us to speak with our packaging specialists who, based on your products and needs, will offer free advice on which packaging solutions are best suited to your business’s unique needs and circumstances.

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