Papers are recyclable, whether cardboard, newspapers, junk mail, packaging papers or paper bags.
Some of these are also reusable. New York state has mandated recycling and we should all do our part to save and reuse our resources. When papers and cardboards with slick color reproductions are burned, sulfites and heavy metals are released into the air. The absorption of heavy metals by humans has been linked to birth defects, interference with red blood cell production, liver and kidney deterioration and loss of coordination. If one burns trash for security reasons there is a simple and fairly inexpensive solution without causing pollution.