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

Paper collected on the island must be sent to the UK for recycling, incurring collection and transport costs, as well as associated carbon emissions.

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

The change that comes into effect this month is due to the fact that paper recovered for recycling has “drastically fallen”, from 1,600 tons 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 of Infrastructure between £35,000 and £50,000 a year.

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

“Residents who currently dispose of paper using Bring banks are encouraged to dispose of it in their wheelie bins, where it will be processed through the Energy from Waste facility.

He said residents with curbside paper pickup or a private recycling plan should continue using them.

Crookall explained that the change only applies to paper “due to the value of its incineration for the production of renewable electricity.”

He advised that all other materials should be recycled in the same way, as burning metal or glass at the plant would not be beneficial to the environment, just as recycling textiles remains “extremely effective at reducing carbon emissions.” .

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