Can Sticky Tape be Recycled?

Why Most Sticky Tape Cannot Be Recycled

Many businesses claim that their packaging is fully recyclable, but that's not always true. The problem is not with the packaging itself, but with the sticky tape used to seal the box.

Despite so many paper sticky tapes on the market being labelled as recyclable, many are incompatible with standard paper-recycling processes and are disposed of as general waste.

Until quite recently, clear tape and brown parcel tape, both made from plastic, were the most popular materials for sealing packages. However, as businesses have become more environmentally aware and moved towards eco-friendly alternatives, paper sticky tapes have appeared and are now widely available.

Many are coloured and/or printed, which can make a parcel look far more attractive. However, just because the tape is made from paper does not mean that it can be recycled. The problem is with certain inks and adhesives which cannot be recycled.

Sticky address labels, decorative stickers and other adhesive-backed paper products are often treated as general waste because of this issue. Regarding Post-it notes, even guidance from the same waste authority can vary. The North London Waste Authority states on one page that Post-it notes can be recycled when attached to a larger piece of paper because loose notes are too small to be separated at the sorting facility. However, its general guidance for paper and card lists Post-it notes, sticky labels and paper tape as items that cannot be recycled. The London Borough of Camden, plus many other local authorities, give the same guidance.

It was only while changing our packaging to ensure that it was fully recyclable that we became aware of the issue with the adhesive on certain paper products. While looking for a suitable paper sticky tape, we contacted numerous companies to ask whether the adhesives and inks used on their tape were recyclable. All confirmed that their paper sticky tape could definitely be recycled.

One retailer informed us that all paper sticky tape can be recycled because chemicals used at recycling plants remove dyes and adhesives.

What we were being told contradicted the research we had carried out, so we contacted two paper-recycling plants, one that works with local councils and another that does not. Both told us that most adhesive-backed paper could not be recycled. They also confirmed that their processes were unable to remove certain inks and adhesives from paper tape.

Although some recycling plants use chemicals and air bubbles to remove ink from paper pulp, not all inks can be removed successfully, and not every paper mill uses a deinking process. Certain inks can remain in the pulp and reduce the quality of the recycled paper.

Another reason recycling plants do not accept sticky paper products is that the adhesive can clog machinery and disrupt the recycling process.

After sharing this information with several retailers and one manufacturer of paper sticky tape that we had previously contacted, no one replied. The paper sticky tapes sold by these businesses continue to be sold as “fully recyclable.”

The following screenshot comes from a paper recycling plant in the U.S. Although I've used it as an example because it offers the clearest explanation, the websites of several UK recycling plants state exactly the same. Many, but not all, local council websites also state that sticky paper and any adhesive-backed material cannot be recycled.  
Paper coated with wax, plastic or any other coating cannot be recycled. Despite business cards being made from paper or card, many have inks or coatings that prevent them from being recyclable. 

Not all councils in the UK can recycle shredded paper. Those who can, request that it be placed in a paper bag or closed box to prevent it from blowing around at the recycling plant and blocking machinery. 

In the UK, once domestic recycling has been collected, it's sorted at a 'Materials Recovery Facility'. This is done by machinery, by hand, or a combination of both.
During our research, we learned that sticky tape is routinely removed at sorting centres because employees have no way of knowing which adhesive or ink has been used. On products where it can be easily removed, the packaging will be recycled. Where that's not possible or where an excessive amount is left behind, it goes to landfill.

We did find one paper sticky tape that uses adhesive made from synthetic rubber and hydrocarbon resins which can apparently be recycled, but upon further investigation, we discovered it can only be done at a specialist recycling centre.

One paper sticky tape that can be recycled is non-reinforced water-activated tape, also known as WAT or gummed tape. This is made from kraft paper and a starch-based adhesive, which breaks down during the repulping process. Therefore, it doesn't need to be removed from packaging before being recycled.

Reinforced water-activated tape is different because it contains glass-fibre strands for additional strength. The paper and starch-based adhesive can be repulped, but the glass fibres cannot, so this tape is removed.

At Stone Mania, we now only use non-reinforced water-activated tape for our packaging.

Although there is no expectation to remove all sticky materials from packaging before placing it in your recycling, removing as much as possible would be hugely beneficial.