How to Dispose of All Holiday Trash
Ah, the holidays are a time of holidays, family and garbage. There is a lot of rubbish. Lots of decorative waste that is stored for a month to a day before the end of it ends up in the bin. According to the US Department of Agriculture, only in 2017. year the Americans have produced more than five million Christmas trees. According to estimates Earth911, annually produces 4.6 million pounds of brown paper, about half of which is in the dumps.
If you’re wondering how best to recycle or throw away your holiday items this year, you’re in luck; Below you will find tips on how to get rid of everything from used disposable wrapping paper to bubble wrap.
Of course, any recycling guidelines will depend on your local recycling program’s rules, which may or may not have changed recently after China’s ban on imports of our recyclable materials. In this case, it is always a good idea to search the Internet for your program rules to be sure. However, here are a few tips to remember before leaving the sad tree on the sidewalk.
Carton boxes
Last week, we discussed the problem that Amazon’s cardboard boxes have posed for recycling businesses all over the place. According to one recycling company in New York , cardboard boxes now account for about half of the local recycling stream, up from 15 percent 15 years ago; In other words, the problem isn’t going anywhere, especially with the dominance of Amazon shopping.
Here’s the good news: Generally, cardboard is still recyclable through most local roadside recycling programs, which means you can freely dispose of cardboard boxes in the blue bin. But remember that your boxes must not come into contact with other contaminated recyclables. Once contaminated, they can no longer be considered recyclable. (This is why pizza boxes are rarely recycled.) And don’t forget to break them as well using scissors or a box cutter. This will make it easier for your curb collection program to collect them in bulk.
Verdict: Dispose of if clean.
Wrapping
While you might think that wrapping paper can be recycled, in some cases it really is thrown in the trash as Earth911 writes . In no case do not recycle laminated wrapping paper with shiny surface. The same goes for paper with a metallic surface or glitter, which has no recyclable value from the point of view of recycling companies. On the other hand, unmatted, “plain” paper is generally recyclable.
Verdict: Rubbish if shiny or glitter. Otherwise, dispose of.
Bows and ribbons
Do not do this. In fact, in any office supply store or pharmacy, you should ditch bows and ribbons. As you can imagine, bows and ribbons can very easily become entangled in recycling equipment, requiring workers to manually separate them and slowing down the process.
Verdict: rubbish.
Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is generally not recyclable as part of your curb recycling program, but you can dispose of it at your local drop-off points at many major stores. For example, some Target and Whole Food stores may accept them in containers on the counter. (They’ll likely accept any disposable plastic bags as well.) To find a drop-off point near you, use Plastic Film Recycling ‘s search locator and enter your zip code. And call ahead to be sure.
Verdict: Recycle.
Postcards
As with wrapping paper, holiday cards can only be recycled if they are simple, with no glitter or metallic sheen. As USA Today recommends, you can at least rip the card in half so that part of it can be recycled.
Verdict: Dispose of if simple. Otherwise, throw away the trash.
Trees
Christmas trees can be recycled too, although this depends a lot on your local resources. Some sidewalk recycling programs, such as those in New York and San Francisco , will pick them up on your behalf and usually within two or three weeks after Christmas ends; trees can be recycled as mulch in city parks. Just be sure to look for the rules of your local program and clear the tree of any decorations or tinsel beforehand.
If that fails, you can also look for any local “mulching events” that might involve dragging your tree to the drop-off location. As a last resort, use the Earth911 search locator to find the nearest collection site. Whatever you do, if you decide to give up our advice and throw your tree into the trash can, do not put it in a bag to hold it back. As one sustainability expert told the New York Times , landfills are packed so tightly that your tree may not be getting enough oxygen to decompose properly if it is in a bag.
Verdict: Recycle if you can.