Can you recycle postage stamps?

Used postage stamps are collected by many charities (RNIB, hospices, animal charities) which sell them to collectors — trim them from the envelope with about 1cm of paper around each. Otherwise, stamps can simply stay on envelopes going into paper recycling; the adhesive is not a problem.

Tips

• Cut stamps out with a 1cm border for charity appeals
• No need to remove stamps before recycling envelopes

Which bin does it go in?

Charity stamp appeals; otherwise recycle with the envelope

Before throwing it away, see reuse, repair and donation routes.

Background: The 10 recycling mistakes that ruin lorry-loads.

Also searched as: used stamps, franked stamps.