People are only just learning how to ‘correctly’ recycle envelopes

People are only now learning how to recycle envelopes with plastic windows after a discussion went viral on Reddit.

In 2022, the UK recycled 44.1% of household waste, with Wales having the highest rate at almost 57% and Scotland the lowest at 42.1%, according to statistics from the government.

While most products will have clear guideslines, either on the packaging or on the government’s website, on how you should dispose of it, some products remains difficult to know whether or not you should recycle them.

One of these items in envelopes with plastic windows. While paper is commonly recycled, not all plastic things should be recycled, which creates confusion.

Taking to a Reddit forum all about asking questions related to different things about the UK, one user went on to ask how to go about correctly recycling an envelope, especially those with a plastic window.

“When recycling, am I wasting my time if I cut out the little plastic screen that envelopes have?” they asked. “My local council doesn’t have any specific information about it.”

They continued to say: “I always do this because I think the envelope can’t go in the paper/cardboard recycling if it has some plastic in it.

“Am I wasting my time? If so, what’s the correct way of disposing of an envelope? Whole envelope goes in paper/cardboard recycling or in household waste?”

This sparked a discussion as over 500 people joined in to share their own thoughts, with many agreeing on the correct way of disposing of envelopes.

How to correctly recycle an envelope

All envelopes, including the ones with plastic windows, can be recycled with your normal household recycling and you do not need to remove the windows from the envelopes. This will be the case for most councilsin the UK, unless they state otherwise.

Several Reddit users confirmed this was the case, saying most paper mills expects a certain level of contamination, including from glue or even staples.

While it would be better to leave out the plastic windows to not ‘contaminate’ the paper recycling process, as it’s already contaminated by other things, most places will accept the plastic windows on paper envelopes.

This is only the case for paper envelopes. Jiffy bags – envelopes with a bubble wrap lining – usually cannot be recycled and need to be put into your black/grey bin.

While this may differ from council to council, it’s important to check your local recycling guidelines. To check your local council’s rules, you can find an A-Z list of things you can recycle on their website.

To find your local list, you can search for it by entering your postcode on the government’s recycling collection website.