Yes, junk mail is paper and recyclable. Fortunately, paper is one of the easiest materials to recycle. This includes envelopes, advertisements, coupon pages, credit card offers, magazines, and so on -- all of which can be recycled instead of sent to the landfill.
One common misconception: envelopes with small plastic address windows are actually fine to recycle in most curbside programs. The window is small enough that recycling facilities can handle it.[1] The paper contents inside -- even the return envelope and stamp -- are good to go in the recycling bin.
Cardboard boxes should be broken down flat prior to recycling. Magazines and phonebooks are also OK.
Should you shred paper before recycling?
No, you should not. Shredded paper is more difficult for recycling plants to process.[2] Unless absolutely necessary, try not to shred paper that you recycle.
Only shred documents that genuinely contain sensitive information. Save the shredder for anything with account numbers, SSNs, or other sensitive financial details. Everything else goes in the bin as-is.
What can't you recycle?
While a majority of unsolicited mail that you receive is recyclable, not all of it is:
- Laminated paper. The plastic coating contaminates the paper stream and most recyclers won't accept it.
- Receipts. Most are printed on thermal paper coated with BPA or BPS, which can contaminate other paper in the recycling stream and shouldn't go in your bin.[3]
- Bubble mailers and padded envelopes. If the inside of the envelope is padded with bubble wrap or plastic, it cannot be recycled curbside. Check for local plastic bag drop-off locations instead.
- Plastic pre-selected credit cards or reward cards. Sometimes they look legit and have your name already on them. These plastic cards cannot be placed in recycling -- remove them before recycling the envelope.
- Adhesive glue and packaging tape. Remove from any items before putting them into the recycling bin. Tape backing is typically polyester or polypropylene, neither of which is recyclable.
- Styrofoam, packing peanuts, and air pockets. All are a no-go for curbside recycling. Remove them and reuse for your own shipping of fragile items, or find a local polystyrene drop-off site.
If it's plastic, foam, or has adhesive, it probably can't go in the bin.
Going paperless for the planet (and your sanity)
In addition to opting out of junk mail, going paperless will help declutter your physical mailbox. The tradeoff is it can increase your digital junk mail. We cover the difference between spam and junk mail in another guide.
For example, printed credit card and bank statements can be dozens of pages. By switching your bills and bank information to digital, you can eliminate a ton (no pun intended) of excessive physical mail. For reducing offers and advertisements from credit card companies specifically, read our guide on stopping credit card junk mail.
To go paperless, contact your bank and ask their customer service to switch billing statements from paper to digital. Most banks nowadays have online portals with all your important banking records. In other words, there is no need to keep receiving physical copies by mail.
Another benefit of paperless: reducing your carbon footprint
We built a tool to estimate your carbon footprint from junk mail. This doesn't include other carbon-consuming activities -- simply just the waste generated from junk mail per year for most Americans.
Recycle less by opting out
Recycling junk mail is better than throwing it in the garbage. But the best way to fight back is to stop it before it reaches your mailbox. Use our free opt-out kit to walk through every major registry in one pass.
Incogni removes you from 180+ data broker databases automatically -- cutting off the source that feeds most junk mailers. Covers both physical mail and email spam.
DeleteMe focuses on the top 30+ consumer data broker sites with detailed quarterly reports on exactly what was removed.