Can I peel off shiny coating myself?

Question

I don't know what to do about 5this but my first guess is kind of simple: Can't I just peel off, by hand, the front of the boxes and such - recycleing only the other side? Or is it imbedded inside of the paper too?

Answer 1

Hi Cora

Further on my answer to your last question on this.

First, the coatings are sitting on top of the paper substrate, and are not part of the substrate. The paper is made first, then passes through a coater where the shiny stuff is added.

If you can peel the coating off, then it is plastic.  There are few grades of paper that have a plastic coating, and those are almost all food grade.  Milk cartons, ice cream boxes, and the like fall into this catagory.

Further, if you can peel the shiny part off, the paper underneath will most probably be white and is considered a high grade fiber.  If you want, go ahead and peel the coating off and recycle the white substrate.  That is a very expansive and sought after fiber for recycling mills - they will like you for it. (Even if the substrate is brown, and you can peel the coating off, recycle it)

If you can't peel the shiny part off (which I'm betting is the case), then you are dealing with a mixture of clay and PVAc (PVAc is the primary ingredient in Elmer's glue).  This is a tough coating that requires very specialized equipment to deal with.  If your recycler doesn't want this grade, that means that there is not a recycle mill within their area that has the equipment necessary to deal with a PVAc coating.  

If waste paper with PVAc makes it to a paper machine without the expensive treatment, then the glue will stick to the hot dryers on the paper machine and gum it up.  The poor fellows who have to scrape the glue off will not be thinking kind thoughts of you. (Think of pouring Elmer's glue on your hot iron at home, give it a few hours to cook, then try to iron your cloths with it - you'll get the picture)

I hope this clears up the matter for you.  If you need a more in-depth technical answer, I would be glad to render it.

Answer 2

i think so

Answer 3

No you can't.  That shiny layer is a thin film of plastic.  This type of paper cannot be recycled.

Answer 4

Actually, you don't need to worry about the coating material on cardboard.  The process of rendering the carboard back to pulp takes out any plastic and other surface finishes.

Answer 5

what on earth are you talking about?