How to Recycle Old Paper Journals: A Step-by-Step Guide
Table of Contents
Last Updated: November 5, 2026
Deciding What to Do With Old Journals
The first question in how to recycle old paper journals isn't "how do I recycle this?" It's "should I?" According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guidance on common recyclables, Americans recycled about 68% of the paper they used in 2018, and recovered paper gets turned into new paper products. Your old journals can join that stream, but only after you've made a few honest decisions.
A journal deserves a thoughtful ending, not a rushed toss. So here's the simple rule to use: if the pages are blank or barely used, don't recycle them at all. If they're full of sensitive writing, handle privacy first. If they're full and harmless, recycling is a solid choice.
Keep, Recycle, Reuse, or Donate: A Simple Decision Guide
Use this decision guide before you touch the recycling bin:
Situation | Best Move | Why |
Blank or lightly used pages | Donate or reuse | Recycling destroys usable paper |
Full of private writing | Shred, then recycle | Protects sensitive information |
Full, nothing private | Recycle | Straightforward paper recovery |
Sentimental or beautiful | Keep or rebind | Value beyond the material |
Damaged beyond use | Recycle or compost | No better option left |
The decision takes about thirty seconds. Skipping it is how people end up recycling a journal they wish they'd kept.
How to Recycle Old Journals Through Curbside Programs
Most curbside programs accept old journals as mixed paper, but the details matter more than the general rule. The American Forest & Paper Association's 2026 report on paper recycled in 2025 notes the U.S. recycled around 45 million tons of paper in 2025, with a paper recycling rate between 61% and 65%. That's a big stream, and your journal is a small part of it.
Here's how to recycle old paper journals through your bin without causing problems:
Check your local program's accepted materials list first.
Remove covers and bindings (more on this below).
Keep pages dry and free of food or liquid.
Place loose pages in the bin, not bagged.
Skip journals with heavy plastic or metal until separated.
What Your Local Recycling Rules Actually Accept
Acceptance varies by program, and guessing wrong causes contamination. Earth911's guidance on recycling books and magazines reports that most curbside programs take magazines and paperback books as mixed paper, but some exclude hardcover books because of their bindings. The lesson: check before you toss.
Softcover notebooks: usually fine as mixed paper
Hardcover journals: often need the cover removed
Spiral and wire bound: separate the metal first
Plastic covers: usually not recyclable curbside
Separating Covers, Bindings, and Paper Before You Recycle
Recycling works best when materials arrive sorted, so separate your journal into three piles: paper, metal, and everything else. This step is where most people give up, and it's also where the real difference happens. A journal tossed in whole can jam sorting equipment or get pulled out as trash.
Start with the cover. For a softcover, peel or tear it away from the glued spine. For a hardcover, cut the pages free along the inner spine with a craft knife. For spiral bound, unwind or snip the metal coil.
A Material-by-Material Recycling Checklist
Run through this list for each journal, handling each component on its own terms:
Paper pages: Recycle curbside or at a mixed paper drop-off. Written-on paper is commonly accepted, but confirm your program takes mixed paper rather than only corrugated cardboard.
Cardboard covers: Recycle with cardboard if your program accepts it. Thin cereal-box-style board is usually fine; thick rigid board may not be.
Hardcover boards: Usually trash unless your program says otherwise. The board is often laminated or glued to fabric, which contaminates the paper stream.
Coated or glossy covers: Often trash. A shiny, plastic-like finish signals a coating that most programs reject.
Metal spiral or wire: Recycle with metals if accepted locally. Snip it into short lengths so it doesn't tangle.
Plastic binding combs: Usually trash. Most curbside programs don't take them, and they wrap around sorting equipment.
Glued spine blocks: Tear pages free and discard the glue block. The adhesive is not recyclable and can gum up pulping equipment.
Elastic bands and ribbons: Remove and reuse or trash. They wrap around sorting machinery.
Laminated or coated covers: Often trash. When in doubt, leave it out.
Watch out: tossing a whole hardcover journal into mixed paper can contaminate a load, and some programs will reject the entire bin. When a component is ambiguous, the safer move is to trash it rather than risk the whole batch.
A quick way to test a cover: tear a corner. If it rips like paper, it likely recycles. If it stretches, peels in a plastic sheet, or resists tearing, it's coated or laminated and belongs in the trash.
Shredding Old Diaries for Privacy Before Disposal
Shredding old diaries for privacy is the step most people skip, and it's the one that matters most. A diary holds your unfiltered thoughts, and recycling doesn't erase them before the paper reaches a sorting facility. Shred first, then recycle the shreds if your program accepts them. Once the shreds are ready, sorting them with the rest of your recyclables is part of recycling household waste responsibly at home.
Here's a privacy-safe approach:
Flip through and pull out any pages you want to keep.
Shred pages with a shredder.
Mix shreds with other paper recycling, not bagged alone.
Check whether your program accepts shredded paper (some don't).
If shreds aren't accepted, compost them or use them as packing material.
A strip-cut shredder leaves readable strips. Cross-cut is worth the upgrade if privacy matters to you.
Recycling Spiral Bound Notebooks and Wire-Bound Planners
Recycling spiral bound notebooks takes one extra step: get the metal out. The wire or spiral is recyclable on its own, but it tangles sorting machinery when it arrives attached to paper. Unwind it by hand or snip it with wire cutters, then set it aside for metals recycling.
Here is the step-by-step for each common journal type:
Spiral-bound (metal coil):
Open the journal flat and find the coil's end cap.
Pinch the end and twist to unthread the coil, or snip it with wire cutters at one end.
Pull the coil free and set it aside for metals recycling.
Recycle the loose pages as mixed paper.
Wire-bound planners:
Remove any tabs, dividers, or plastic pockets first.
Snip the wire loops at the spine with wire cutters.
Separate the wire from the paper and recycle each stream.
Plastic comb binding:
Most curbside programs won't take plastic combs, so they usually go in the trash.
Cut or pull the comb free and discard it.
The paper pages underneath recycle normally once freed.
Glued spine (perfect-bound):
Open the journal and press the pages flat.
Tear pages free in small sections along the glue line.
Discard the glue block and recycle the loose pages.
Hardcover with sewn binding:
Cut the pages free along the inner spine with a craft knife.
Recycle the paper and discard the cover board.
Watch out: plastic spiral bindings are a different story from metal. Most curbside programs won't take them, and they can wrap around sorting equipment, so they usually go in the trash. The paper pages underneath recycle normally once freed.
Metal spiral: recycle with metals if local rules allow
Plastic comb binding: usually trash
Glued spine: tear pages free, recycle paper, discard glue block
Wire-bound planner with tabs: remove tabs, recycle paper
Repurposing Old Notebooks Instead of Tossing Them
Repurposing old notebooks keeps usable paper in circulation without any sorting at all. If a notebook has blank pages left, tear out the used ones and keep the rest. A half-used journal becomes a scratch pad, a grocery list book, or a sketchbook.
For readers who want to turn old pages into something expressive, our guide on how to use fountain pens for expressive sketching walks through line work and shading techniques that suit repurposed paper.
Other ways to repurpose:
Cut pages into bookmarks or gift tags
Use blank pages for handmade paper projects
Turn covers into collage material
Rebind loose pages into a new journal with a simple stitch
Donating Journals and the Limits of Recycling
Donating unused or partially used notebooks beats recycling them every time. Schools, libraries, and community art programs often welcome blank or lightly used journals. Call ahead, since donation policies vary.
Recycling has real limits, too. Paper can only be recycled a handful of times before fibers break down, and contaminated loads get landfilled. The Recycling Partnership's 2026 State of Recycling Report notes that the residential recycling stream for printed paper and packaging is becoming more varied and lighter, which complicates standard processing.
So the order of operations is: reuse first, donate second, recycle third, trash last.
Choosing a Journal You'll Want to Keep
The best way to reduce journal waste is to buy one you won't want to discard. A well-made journal with a sturdy binding and quality paper earns its place on your shelf for years. If you want to understand what makes a journal last, read our guide on why choose artisanal paper for journaling.
Our journals are handcrafted, and 100% of our profits are donated to children's art programs in schools. When you're ready to replace a worn-out journal with a keeper, browse our lined journals or blank-page journals. And if you already own a leather cover, our guide on how to care for a leather journal cover at home will help it outlast the pages inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can spiral-bound notebooks go in the recycling bin as-is?
No. The metal spiral or plastic comb has to come off first, because mixed-material items jam sorting equipment at recycling facilities. Unwind a metal spiral or snip it with wire cutters, then put the wire in your metals recycling and the paper pages in mixed paper. Plastic bindings usually belong in the trash. Once the binding is off, recycling spiral bound notebooks is as simple as recycling any other paper, provided your local program accepts it.
How do I recycle old journals that contain personal or sensitive writing?
Shredding old diaries for privacy is the safest route before recycling. A cross-cut shredder turns pages into confetti that is impractical to reassemble, and many curbside programs accept shredded paper if you bag it, per local rules. If you do not own a shredder, tear pages into small pieces and mix them with other recycling. For especially sensitive entries, some people compost the shredded paper instead.
Is it better to recycle old journals or repurpose them?
Reuse usually beats recycling because it skips the energy used to pulp and remanufacture paper. Repurposing old notebooks works well for half-used pages: remove the written pages, rebind the blank ones with a kettle stitch, or use them for grocery lists and craft paper. Recycling is still a strong option for journals that are fully used and cannot be donated.
Will curbside recycling take hardcover journals and diaries?
Usually not in one piece. Most programs accept the paper pages as mixed paper but exclude hardcover books and journals because the rigid cardboard and glued spine interfere with pulping. Some programs exclude hardcover books for exactly this reason, so check your local rules. Cut or tear the pages free from the cover, recycle the paper, and place the cover in the trash unless your program says otherwise.
Your old journals deserve a better ending than a landfill. At Reflective Radiance Studio, we craft handmade journals designed to be kept, not tossed, with sturdy bindings and paper made for daily writing. Every purchase supports children's art education, because 100% of our profits are donated to school art programs. Get started with Reflective Radiance Studio and find a journal you'll want to fill, keep, and pass down.
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