The Isle of Man government will phase out paper recycling banks

Government paper recycling banks are being removed from the Isle of Man to save money and because they are no longer considered environmentally friendly.

Paper collected on the island must be sent to Britain for recycling, which incurs collection and transport costs, as well as associated CO2 emissions.

The government has determined that carbon savings from energy recovery from burning paper at the island’s Energy from Waste plant will be superior to recycling.

The change, which comes into effect this month, comes as paper recovered for recycling has “dropped dramatically”, from 1,600 tonnes in 2007 to 200 in 2023.

This decline is attributed to “the rise of online publishing and the continued decline in sales of newspapers and print products.”

The change is expected to save the Department for Infrastructure between £35,000 and £50,000 annually.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said: “Making this change will mark a significant shift for many households where paper has been recycled alongside other items for years.

“Residents who currently dispose of their paper through the drop-off banks are encouraged to instead throw it into their waste containers, where it will be processed through the Energy from Waste Plant.

He said residents with curbside paper collection or a private recycling program should continue to take advantage of them.

Mr Crookall explained that the change is only being applied on paper “due to the value of its combustion for the production of renewable electricity”.

He advised that all other materials should still be recycled in the same way, as burning metal or glass in the factory would not be environmentally friendly – ​​just as recycling textiles “remains highly effective in reducing CO2 emissions”.

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