Is Wax Paper Recyclable

Wax papers are really very useful and they can come in handy in a lot of kitchen-related stuff. Having wax paper at your place will help you with a lot of things and therefore it is very necessary to learn everything about them.

Many people use wax paper for different purposes. You can use wax paper for lining your shelf, to polish faucets, for cleaning a can opener, for baking, to use against microwave splatters, to grab dust, and anything you would want it to be used for. People use it according to their requirements. While using wax paper it is also important to consider the environmental effects of using it. Today we will look at the impact that wax papers have on the environment.

A wax paper can be of great use to you but after using it you might have wondered if you can recycle it or reuse it. Today we are going to look at whether you can recycle your wax paper or not. If you use wax papers then this article is going to be helpful for you.

What is wax paper?

A wax paper is tissue paper that is triply waxed on both sides. It is made using food-safe paraffin wax. This wax is forced into the pores of papers and then spread on the outside coating.

It should not be used for the process of lining cookies, as waxing paper cannot cook and smoke the heat of the oven. For the lining of cakes for baking cakes, both wax paper and parchment paper can be used. As the cake batter covers the wax paper completely, the wax paper won’t smoke. Can be used in cooking with a microwave. The inventor of wax paper is a credit to Thomas Edison.

Is Wax Paper Recyclable?

Recycling things at our place has become a habit for many of us and we do it pretty often. We recycle a lot of things but when we talk about the wax paper it is surely not one of them.

To answer this question the first thing that is needed to be understood is that recycling paper requires water and when we add any oil to the mixture it will ruin everything. Grease and oil aren’t an issue for plastic, glass, and metals because here, the recycling part is carried out using a heating process. When we talk about paper recycling of paper products then it’s not the same. Paper products are mixed with water so that they can become slurry. As we all know that water and oil won’t mix so the problem of recycling wax paper is crystal clear.

Moreover, recycling paper products are not available on paper to dispose of a tacky, oily, greasy, or even waxy texture. If the paper is grated or oil, the paper is considered to be spoiled because the grade and oil or any of the other contaminants cannot be removed from the paper. In simple words, it is almost impossible to take out the wax from the paper and this doesn’t allow recycling the waxed paper in a traditional method.

Additionally, when we talk about the wax paper it is also considered a garbage item. It is said and followed that one should use their wax paper until it can be reused and after when it becomes unusable you should throw it in your trash can.

One thing to keep in mind is that your wax paper will need months to get decomposed in your trash can. Everything above states that wax paper cannot be recycled. If you still want to reuse your wax paper then you should buy one which is made using soybean oil.

Soybean oil is organic and is also renewable. However, it will take weeks to get decomposed say around three to six weeks. One more way is that one should limit the use of wax paper and should only use it whenever necessary. Reusing it should only be done when it’s probable. This will help you to reduce the wastes that waxed paper creates.

A wax paper is a mixed bag and it is either coated with vegetable wax or it is coated using petroleum-based paraffin. It is not easy to say in which way it is coated. If your waxed paper is coated using vegetable wax then it is compostable using industrial settings. If you have wax paper that is made using petroleum paraffin then it is neither compostable nor recyclable.

Is Wax Paper Reusable?

The short and sweet answer to this question is Yes, you can reuse wax paper until it is capable of being reused.

If you have used your wax paper for preparing biscuits or cookies all you are required to do after that is clearly off the excess flour and sugar on the paper. You can do this by using wet tissues, paper towels, or a damp cloth. After you are done wiping your wax paper it is ready to be used again. A wax paper isn’t easily damaged so one can use it as much as possible until it seems damaged.

Is Wax paper Biodegradable?

Wax papers are very useful and they are not only useful for us but they can be of benefit to the environment as well. This makes it a good alternative for eco-friendly packing and wrapping.

There is some wax paper available in the market that is naturally biodegradable. A wax paper that is made using soybean oil and vegetable oil can be decomposed within a period of 2 weeks to 1 month. In 2012, Vincotte’s OK compost license was awarded to the French Micro app Organization. It is licensed for its wrapping of meat and cheese which is covered with organically produced soybean oil wax paper. It is, therefore, possible to conclude that the majority of waxed papers are biodegradable.

Conclusion

A wax paper can be very useful and it comes in handy in various kitchen activities. It is not easily damaged so one can use it again and again for a long time.

It is very important as a human being to take care of the environment we live in and therefore one should consider the fact that wax paper cannot be recycled and therefore it shouldn’t be thrown into the trash bin as it takes months to get decomposed there. One should try limiting the use of wax paper as much as possible and use it only when it is necessary. A soybean or vegetable oil-based wax paper is a good alternative and it is also good for the environment.