Post-it® Notes can be recycled by any mill that accepts mixed-paper recycling.

3M works with industry associations to encourage the inclusion of Post-it® Notes in all mixed-paper recycling programs. If a recycling mill can remove inks from their paper waste, they can also remove the adhesive contained in Post-it® Notes. 3M has contracted with leading independent testing organizations like Specialized Testing Resources (STR) (the official testing facility for the USPS) to ensure the recyclability of Post-it® Notes. 3M also publishes white papers to this effect and presents these papers at industry conferences to educate industry audiences about the recyclability of Post-it® Notes.

3M will work with any recycling mills that accept mixed-paper recycling. 3M's Technical Service Department is available as a resource for information on the recyclability of Post-it® Notes.

Post-it® Notes contain a small amount of adhesive but they are not "stickies." Stickies are products such as mailing labels that are fully coated with permanent adhesive. Unlike these products, Post-it® Notes are 99% paper and only 1% low tack adhesive. Post-it® Notes can be recycled by any recycling mills that accept mixed-paper recycling.

Your office or building manager should be able to provide you with this information.

Recycling depends on both available technology and prevailing economics. Historically, some recyclers assumed that Post-it® Notes were difficult to recycle because of their "sticky" adhesive. This is not true. Any mill that accepts mixed-paper recycling can accept Post-it® Notes and 3M is working with industry associations to encourage the inclusion of Post-it® Notes in all mixed-paper recycling programs.

Recycling provides critical environmental benefits in helping to preserve forests which reduce the amount of waste going to
landfills. By recycling the broadest range of waste, you play a critical role in protecting the planet. Because it is more inclusive, a mixed-paper program diverts more waste from landfills than a white ledger or computer printout program would. While you may be paid less for colored papers in your recycling program, reduced waste disposal costs can more than make up the difference. In an office situation, productivity increases because employees need to do less sorting.

Post-it® Notes have been recyclable since they were introduced in 1980. However, we have improved the properties of the adhesive in order to reduce the amount of adhesive on each note without affecting the note's performance. This means less adhesive on the note to deal with in a recycling process. We have a process of continuous improvement for all products manufactured by 3M.

Many people incorrectly assume that only water-soluble adhesive is recyclable. By designing an adhesive that disperses in water but is insoluble, 3M created an adhesive that is easily removed by flotation.

The only acceptable adhesives to the recycled paper industry are removable adhesives. Although water-soluble adhesives are partially removed in the paper de-inking process, the residual adhesive goes onto the paper machine. Soluble adhesives pass through the paper and build up in the waste water. Since most of the water is recirculated and reused, soluble adhesives accumulate in the water and eventually precipitate out somewhere in the mill.

Yes. The dyes used to color Post-it® Notes are selected to be recyclable. Recycled paper mills use bleaching agents to remove dyes and whiten the pulp. Most of the colorants used in Post-it® notes are bleached during the paper de-inking process. The remaining small amount of dye is diluted so much during the subsequent paper-making process as to become insignificant.

3M is always striving to meet the needs of our customers and we do our best to provide products and colors that the marketplace wants. In some cases, we offer bright colors that may not color strip as easily as the rest of the product line, but still do not have an adverse affect on the paper recycling process.

There are many different kinds of colorants used in making paper. Some are more recyclable than others. A lot of care has gone into the selection of the dyes used in Post-it® Notes so that they can be recycled. Also, almost all paper at recycling mills has printing on it, even computer printout material. Two processes in the recycling mill are designed to remove virtually all of the color and ink from the incoming paper.

There are numerous sizes of Post-it® Notes available in recycled paper. Post-it® Recycled Paper Notes are made from fiber that includes at least 30 percent post-consumer waste.

Recycling protects forests by reducing the need for virgin fiber. It is also an important strategy for diverting waste from overcrowded landfills. But recycling means more than just collecting recyclable items. The three elements of recycling include, along with collection of waste, the manufacture of new products from recycled material and the purchase of these items. By purchasing recycled content products you help strengthen the market for those products, encourage new technologies and create more stable markets for the sale of materials separated from recycling. When you purchase recycled paper products, you're doing your part for the
environment.

No. The suggested list price on recycled notes is the same as that of standard Post-it® Notes.

Yes.

We would love to see the demand for recycled products grow. We anticipate converting more of our standard product line of notes over to recycled paper, as the marketplace demands it.

We continue to increase the amount of post-consumer content whenever possible, while assuring the continued high quality of the product. Since the introduction of Post-it® Notes, the post-consumer waste level has been raised several times to its current level of 30 percent.

3M uses the minimum packaging required to get the product from the factory to the customer in good condition. The double wrap protects the product as it is passed along from the manufacturing location to the distributor to the final customer. 3M is always looking at ways to reduce packaging materials while delivering the highest quality products.

Post-it® Products provide environmental benefits by enabling
consumers to significantly reduce the amount of paper required to attach messages and/or information to documents. For example, using a Post-it® Fax Note eliminates the need for a cover sheet. 3M has long recognized the importance of environmental protection and conserving our natural resources. Since 1975, 3M's Pollution Prevention Pays, or 3P program, has prevented the generation of 1. 7 billion pounds of pollution. Over the last decade, 3M has cut volatile organic air emissions by 88 percent and releases to water by 82 percent from its operations throughout the world. In addition, 3M has had an office paper recycling program since 1977 and collects approximately 3500 tons of paper per year. Whenever possible, 3M has converted to recycled paper products for its own internal use — for example, business cards, printing papers and corporate letterhead paper.

That information is not available for a particular product because 3M's Life Cycle Management process is a core component for all product development and product improvement programs. Life Cycle Management helps 3M manage environmental, safety and health issues at all stages of a product's life cycle, from design and manufacturing to customer use and disposal.

Call the Office Supplies Division Information Line at 1-800-395-1223 for additional information about Post-it® Notes. Hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.