BY SHELBY TUTTLE
The holiday season is filled with joy, but it even can leave a lot of garbage. With shiny ribbons, bows, wrapping paper, tinsel, and ornaments aplenty, it can be hard to know what should go in the trash and what can be recycled. Spoiler call: When we “wishcycle” holiday materials that can’t really be recycled, our friends at the recycling center can do a lot of extra work.
Making informed choices to properly sort our holiday waste and repurpose items for later use can help us lower our environmental impact and make a more lasting season. Here are a few rapid advices:
PACKAGING AND WRAPPING
Cardboard Boxes: Flatten cardboard boxes to maximize space in recycling bins so that no only in your bin but also the recycle truck itself is reduced. When you laminate your cardboard, you don’t need to use the recycle truck to travel more miles and make additional trips to get all those Amazon Prime boxes to the factory. Before recycling, be sure to take any foam tape or labels out.
Wrapping Paper: Plain wrapping paper is biodegradable. But, paper with glitter, foil, or silver finishes cannot be recycled. Before tossing all the tape in the trash can, you don’t need to get all the tape away, but you should try to get as much as you can.
Washable gift bags are a great substitute for wrapping paper because they can be used for years. Pack them away in a useful gift wrap organizer for use later. Fold them up and store them there. If you have to toss them, do it in the trash can and use the same guidelines as wrapping paper. Remove any handles made of fabric or plastic.
Ribbons and Bows: Gift bows with paper backing are no recyclable, just like the gorgeous ribbon segments that go with your packages. The tangles in the mechanisms of the corporate sorters used in recycling plants can be a particularly significant issue. Consider using ribbons and bows for upcoming gift-wrapping or crafting projects, or even completely skipping them this season.
CHRISTMAS TREES
True Trees: Information about recycling and composting Christmas trees can be found on city websites. If you have a tree decorated with phony snow to celebrate the season, make sure to double check the rules. Flocked trees may not be accepted.
Synthetic Trees: While unnatural trees can be reused, they are not usually biodegradable. Consider donating your used synthetic tree to a charity or selling it online if your artificial tree has seen better days.
CARDS AND DECORATIONS
Cards: Flat paper cards can be recycled. But, cards with glitter, foil, or other non-paper elements should be thrown in the trash.
Ornaments and Lights: These items can be reused or donated to charity. Broken or out of date ornaments can be recycled through particular programs or thrown away in the trash.
Tinsel: Tinsel is generally made of plastic and poses the same threat to recycling equipment. Throw it in the trash or leave it alone, especially since it can pose a significant health risk for pets if consumed.
Candles: Although it is not necessary to recycle Hanukkah or Kwanzaa candles, you can contribute to making Hanukkah or Kwanzaa celebrations more responsible by switching to candles made of natural materials like beeswax or soy.
Menorahs and Kinaras: Choose eco-friendly menorahs and kinaras from repurposed materials or make your personal using recycled materials, which you can reuse for years.
By incorporating these easy tips into your holiday routine, you can save money on the environment and enjoy a more lasting holiday season.
