Junk Mail Paper Recycling Recycle Shredded Paper in a Clear Bag If you shred any junk mail to protect personal information, the shredded paper must be put in a clear bag before it can be recycled. Consider shredding only what you absolutely have to, since shredded paper loses its value. Find out more about shredded paper. Glossy Paper and Plastic Windows OK All paper products, including glossy paper, are recyclable. It is ideal to remove plastic windows from envelopes before recycling them, but it’s OK if you don’t. Remove Credit Cards and Address Labels Remove any plastic credit cards or sheets of address labels and throw them away before recycling the envelope and contents it came with. These will contaminate paper recycling. Keep Paper Dry If paper products get wet, their fibers become damaged so that they are no longer recyclable. Store them so that they stay dry until they are recycled. Ways to Reduce Get Off Mailing Lists Register with the Direct Marketing Association to remove your name from most mailing lists for five years. This won’t affect companies you’ve purchased from, so use Catalog Choice or the free app PaperKarma to request specific senders to cease mailings. Stop Credit Cards & Valpak Coupons Opt out of prescreened credit card and insurance offers from major credit bureaus online or by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). To stop receiving Valpak coupons, fill out this form. Reduce the Mail You Receive Request e-statements and e-bills whenever possible to cut down on the amount of paper mail you receive. If you donate to any charities, ask them to only send you annual donation requests. Ways to Reuse Use Envelopes More Than Once As much as possible, try to use envelopes more than once before disposing of them. You can cover old addresses with labels or cross them out if you need to.