What happens to all the plastic bits when you recycle envelopes with those plastic windows in them?

Question

Do they get melted down with the paper particles or is there someone that removes the plastic parts? Just curious.

Answer 1

Recycled paper is not melted down, but soaked to separate,  

Answer 2

technically you should remove them before you put them in the recycling but i suppose there must be a load of people who have to sort through it all and remove them all by hand as you can't recycle paper and plastic together

Answer 3

These bits of plastic get caught in the screens that filter the water out after the paper is pulped, since they are no good for making new paper. These filters take out all kinds of contamination that would be bad for the new paper. The sludge left on the screens is usually discarded in the landfill, but in some areas it's composted.