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

Paper collected on the island needs to be sent to the UK for recycling; This leads to collection and transportation costs as well as carbon emissions.

The government decided that carbon savings from energy recovery by burning paper at the island’s Energy from Waste facility would be superior to recycling.

The change, which comes into effect this month, is due to a “significant decline” in the amount of paper recovered for recycling, from 1,600 tonnes in 2007 to 200 tonnes 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 a year.

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

“Currently residents who dispose of paper using waste banks are encouraged to dispose of their paper in wheelie bins where it will be processed through a Waste to Energy facility.

Residents who have curbside paper collection or a special recycling plan should continue to use them, he said.

Mr Crookall explained that the change would apply to paper only “due to the value of incineration for renewable electricity generation”.

Just as recycling textiles remains “highly effective in reducing carbon emissions”, he advised that all other materials should be recycled in the same way, as burning metal or glass on site would not be beneficial to the environment.

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