It is well known that having custom printed tissue paper for your business can help to elevate your brand packaging and stay ahead of your competition. However, you may be concerned about the environmental impact of unnecessary packaging on the planet. It is important nowadays for businesses to be conscious of how their packaging and production are affecting the environment. It is also essential to note that this is something that affects businesses across the world and how conflict can also play a part in the packaging sector. For instance, looking into how the Eastern Europe conflict and the packaging industry are affected is incredibly crucial for businesses to understand, so they can see the influence it has had on sustainable practices and what that may mean in the long haul, especially as natural resources are an important supply.

It is estimated that the world generates over 2 billion tonnes of solid waste every year, so are there ways in which you can push your brand through packaging without adding to this mountain of waste?

What is tissue paper made of?

Printed issue paper is made from either recycled paper materials like cardboard and newspapers or paper pulp which is from wood fibres. These materials are repulped and then rolled out until the desired thickness is reached. Once the thickness is correct the flattened pulp is dried in a large steam heated compartment of the machine. Once fully dry the tissue paper is rolled onto large cylinders ready for cutting to size.

Is printed tissue paper recyclable?

Technically printed tissue paper is just another paper product that could be repulped back into another form of paper. However printed tissue paper is not very easy to recycle because it is already from recycled materials, the fibres are short so can result in poor pulp in the recycling process meaning a low quality end product. Therefore most recycling facilities do not have the appropriate technology to successfully recycle printed tissue paper and therefore cannot find buyers to purchase the recycled products. It is best to check with your local recycling location to see whether they will accept tissue paper.

Is printed tissue paper compostable?

In order to be compostable, a material must be biodegradable. This means that microorganisms break down the material helping it to decay, once this happens the material is now compost and can fertilise soil with time.

Most tissue paper is compostable as long as it does not contain any plastic or glitter, it can be easily composted both at home and at compost facilities. By wetting the tissue paper before adding it to your compost heap you will help to kick start the process. The tissue paper should also absorb the excess moisture from bioplastics and food waste included in the compost heap.  Individual manufacturing processes and additives as well as environmental factors such as temperature and humidity will also affect how quickly the tissue paper is able to biodegrade.

Reusing tissue paper

Tissue papers that cannot be recycled or composted due to glitter, metallic print or other plastic features are recommended to be reused. If you are unable to use completely biodegradable printed tissue paper, it is a good idea to think about designs that your customers may be able to use again to prevent packaging that is just going to end up in landfill.

Printed tissue paper can be a lovely way to enhance your gift wrapping or business orders for customers. If you want to be environmentally friendly then it is recommended to use printed tissue paper with eco inks, no glitter, no metallic print or other plastic elements. Usually when you order printed tissue paper it will be labelled as biodegradable so you can be sure that it will all be compostable.