Why can't you recycle cereal package cardboard in the paper recycling collection?

This is to do with the quality of paper. The paper merchants want 70% newsprint type paper, which allows us a bit of capacity to place greeting cards, magazines etc mixed in with the paper. If we encourage people to place other cardboard items then it can affect the overall quality as people may put more of this material than the type we want. When the card is torn, any card showing white along the tear is OK but any card showing grey isn't. You can of course compost thin card such as cereal boxes easily, if you scrunch it up and add to your bin.  See our A to Z for more on paper