I’m working on my most recent batch of recycled paper pulp. I had shredded a stack of mail and one of the credit card offers had a grippy matte coating. It reminded me of that rubbery coating a lot of electronics had about 5 years ago. I disregarded my worry and ran it through the shredder into my pulp bag. That was a mistake. In the soak it didn’t break down and worse yet, as I have pulped the paper with my paint mixer it doesn’t break up. The paper itself has separated from the coating and disappeared into the pulp mix, but not that coating. It is floating around the pulp in thin white and blue strips. Very annoying. If I don’t pick these pieces out of my pulp they will burn with an unpleasant, likely toxic, odor. They will also inhibit the formation of the briquette into a hard lump. The thin plastic strips will leave areas where the pulp won’t knit together.
Very annoying.
Also this will cause problems no matter the final use of the pulp. If I use it for art purposes the plastic will cause issues in adhesion and will cause delamination.