The short answer to whether baseball cards can be recycled is that it depends on the specific type of material the cards are made from. Most modern baseball cards produced since the 1980s are printed on a coated stock paper that has a glossy or slick finish. This type of coated paper is generally not recyclable through municipal curbside recycling programs. There are some options for recycling older baseball cards or finding alternative ways to reuse newer cards.
Traditionally, baseball cards were printed on an uncoated paper stock that was similar to standard copy paper or newspaper. Cards produced prior to the late 1970s/early 1980s era were usually made from this type of uncoated paper. Uncoated paper can be recycled through normal residential recycling programs along with other paper products like newspapers, magazines, mail, etc. So older baseball card collections whose cards are made from plain uncoated paper stock can likely be placed loose or bundled together in the recycling bin.
In the modern era starting in the early 1980s, card manufacturers began using glossy or slick coated paper stocks to improve the image quality and protect the cards better. This coated paper has a thicker layer or treatment applied to one or both sides that makes it non-porous and resistant to moisture, dirt, fingerprints etc. Unfortunately, the coating also means these types of papers cannot be processed by most recycling facilities. The coatings and inks applied can contaminate other paper products and interfere with the recycling of merged paper fibers. As a result, curbside recycling programs generally do not accept this type of coated card stock.
For baseball card collections containing only newer glossy or coated stock cards, there are still some recycling or reuse options even if municipal recycling won’t take them. First, some hobby card specialty shops may accept unsorted card collections for resale or reuse. They can carefully separate out the individual cards worth money from common cards. Commons can then be recycled as mixed paper through larger commercial recycling facilities that are better equipped to handle some contamination. Otherwise, organizations like fundraisers or schools may accept donations of large collections of unused common cards to be reused in various crafts, school projects, or fundraising packages/bins of random commons.
Something else collectors can consider is carefully cutting out just the individual card images from the coated stock pages and recycling just the paper borders. This separates the recyclable paper waste from the non-recyclable coated images. The card images could then be stored in protective pages or sleeves. Another option if cards are in very rough shape is to simply shred the entire collection using a cross-cut paper shredder. The shredded pieces can then be composted instead of placed curbside. As a last resort, ripping or cutting cards into smaller pieces can allow them to be placed in the trash rather than taking up large space in a landfill intact.
For valuable vintage cards or a collector’s prized conditioned pieces, recycling may not make sense. But for large collections in average or well-worn condition, pursuing some recycling or reuse path can help keep the cards out of the landfill while aligning with ecological preferences. With some extra steps, it is possible to get at least some portion of a baseball card collection, both old and new, on the path toward sustainability even if curbside programs won’t take them as-is. Evaluating the individual cards and considering multiple reuse and recycling options provides the best chance of prolonging the lifespan of cards and keeping them out of the regular trash.
Whether baseball cards can technically be recycled depends on the specific materials and era they were produced, but creative reuse and specialized recycling avenues do exist for prolonging the life of cards and avoiding full disposal in many cases. With some extra handling, both hobby enthusiasts and casual collectors can feel better about the environmental impact of their baseball card collections at the end of their display or use lifetime.
