How to Dispose of During the Holidays
Americans spend about $ 3.2 billion a year on wrapping paper alone , and this material helps to throw away an additional 25 million tons of trash annually during the holiday season. If you want to reduce the amount of waste, follow these recycling tips.
According to Stanford University and the California Department of Conservation , Americans could save enough paper to cover 45,000 soccer fields if each family wrapped just three gifts in recyclable materials. If you’d like to contribute, here’s how you can make your holiday season greener:
- Use recyclable wrapping paper: Foil and shiny wrapping paper are non-recyclable, so opt for post-consumer wrapping paper and packaging. And don’t forget to recycle it.
- Get creative with gift wrapping: Old newspapers, cards, and comics are a great way to wrap your gift at a budget.
- Remove bows and ribbons before recycling: Before discarding recyclable wrapping paper in an appropriate container, remove all non-recyclable parts and save for future use. Many ribbons, bows, and other decorative items can be attached to gifts with a single piece of transparent tape.
- Use gift bags instead: the wrapping paper looks great, but you can use the gift bag over and over again. You can even buy non-holiday-themed bags to use for birthdays and other events.
Also, remember to fold the wrapping paper before recycling – don’t wrinkle it. It will be helpful if you have a premade bag to collect all the wrapping paper you have folded before you start opening the presents. And if you can’t recycle it, shred it up and use it as packing material when you send your gifts next year.
How to Dispose of During the Holidays | Youtube