Are paper wristbands recyclable?

It is plastic

A paper wristband looks and prints like paper but is usually made of high-density polyethylene fibres (what paper wristbands are made of). In a paper recycling stream it is a contaminant.

What the maker of Tyvek says

• DuPont describes Tyvek as made with HDPE and readily recyclable, and runs a recycling programme whose partners turn used Tyvek into HDPE pellets.
• The programme accepts printed and unprinted Tyvek.
• It does not accept Tyvek contaminated with infectious substances, biological products or regulated medical waste.

These are DuPont’s statements about its own material. Bands made from other synthetics may differ; ask your supplier.

What that means in practice

• At home: a single used band goes with general dry waste, not with paper.
• At a venue or festival: collect used bands at the exit in one container. A plastics recycler that takes flexible HDPE film is the one to ask.
• In a hospital: a band that has been worn by a patient follows the hospital’s biomedical waste policy, not general recycling.

Waste fewer bands

• Order the right number. Spares of 5 to 10 percent, not 30. See how many wristbands to order.
• Keep plain spares. Unprinted stock carries over to the next event; dated bands do not.
• Leave the date off when you can. Print the event name and use colour for the day, and leftover bands stay usable.