The Annual Sea of Red
The non-recyclability of red packets
Every Chinese New Year leaves us with a pile of fancy red packets; many of which are more elaborate than the year before. Majority of them, produced by businesses as advertising for their brands, either goes into the trash or the blue bins once they’ve done their jobs.
A ‘Recycling’ Tradition
In recent years, red packet recycling has become a bit of a tradition itself. Large corporations like banks and shopping malls, have stepped up to provide recycling bins specifically for red packets.
But, how recyclable are red packets actually?
Pretty Problems
1. Red Dye
The significant amount of dye that goes to making red packets "red" is a big contaminator to the water used in the recycling process. Not only does it make it trickier to break the paper down into usable fibres, a great volume of water is required in the process.
2. Foiling
While the foil details on red packets may be beautiful to look at, it complicates the process and creates obstacles for recyclers. As foil doesn’t separate easily from paper, most recycling facilities do not have the capabilities to handle it, which often leads to the entire packet being tossed out.
3. Lamination
Many red packets are treated to achieve either a gloss, matte or textured hand feel. Unfortunately, this finishing is a layer of plastic that bonds with the paper, making it nearly impossible to break down through regular recycling methods.
4. Metallic Inks
Metallic inks give red packets a fancy shimmer, along with a hidden, weighty environmental cost. Often made with metals like aluminium, these inks contaminate the recycling process and make it problematic for the paper to decompose without other extra treatment.
5. Glitter
A sparkle that’s like the cherry on top, glitter adds festive magic to red packets. These glitter particles however, are in fact tiny bits of plastic or metal that pose another obstacle to recyclers. Tough to filter out during recycling, they can ruin an entire batch of paper waste.
In most cases, the environmental impact of the materials used in producing red packets is an afterthought—with recycling often serving as a comforting safety net. It is easy to believe that recycling is the answer, but behind the festive allure of these packets lies a more complex reality.
