Simple Green: Recycle Envelopes With or Without Windows

We aren't big TV news people, but we watched the local station last night because we were waiting for Letterman to start. And maybe we should make it a habit, because we learned something new! In a bit about Austin's new single-stream recycling, a spokesperson talked about how we as a city need to recycle more. No news there. But she pointed out many things are now recyclable because of single-stream recycling. Jump below to find out what exactly.

Thanks to single-stream recycling, we can effortlessly recycle shoe boxes, cereal boxes, microwaveable meal trays, wrapping paper, and...Envelopes with the little cellophane windows.

We'd actually been wondering about that yesterday, due to the flurry of direct mail pieces we received in our mailbox (despite being on the do not mail list, and going "paperless" with all the billing institutions in our lives). At least five envelopes with the little cellophane labels. Granted, we hadn't checked the mail in a while.

We had, like other folks, often spent moments tearing out the cellophane so we could toss them in with the paper. Now, we'll skip that step and not think twice.

Turns out, the envelope industry is even pushing designers to put recycle logos on their envelopes, to encourage the recipients to recycle even if there's a cellophane window. Yep, there's and Envelope Manufacturers Association, and they want you to recycle.

Does your city allow this? If you don't know, check your city's website or call city hall to find out if all your little windowed envelopes can be tossed in the recycle bin.

Call me crazy, but I thought this was common knowledge. I have always tossed the cello-window envelopes right in the bin with the newspapers and cereal boxes.

Maybe this comes from once working at an office with a high outgoing and incoming mail rate. We were pretty on top of what office products could and could not be recycled.

Either way, if this makes it easier and quicker for everyone, then I promise to spread the word.

posted by hmr on February 4th 2009 at 2:31pm
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if it's really cellophane (though many aren't), it's biodegradable, so you'd think it could be easily removed in the recycling process anywhere.

but here's a thought: instead of throwing them right away, how about using them first? a little tacky, maybe, but for casual correspondence it's not really an issue, (especially with the envelopes that don't have company logos). I don't send much mail, so reusing them pretty much covers my envelope needs.

posted by foodefafa on February 5th 2009 at 2:00am
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Me too foodefafa! You can even get gummed labels that support charities and are printed on recycled paper - http://www.stopjunkmail.org.uk/stickers/envelope_reuse_labels.php

posted by Rebekkap on February 5th 2009 at 10:19pm
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