The holiday season is in full swing. Not only does this mean you will soon become inundated with food and desserts of all kinds, it is the most generous season of the year. Chances are you will soon find yourself elbow deep in tissue paper, gift wrap, cardboard boxes, and holiday decorations. But once December is over, what are you to do with all the holiday waste you have accumulated? Reduce, reuse, and recycle of course!
Considering the fact that the average person generates over four pounds of trash every day, it is important to be especially diligent during the holiday season. So follow our quick and simple holiday waste management guide to get on Santa’s nice list for next year.
Wrapping paper: REUSE
Unfortunately, your shiny laminated gift wrap is not recyclable and putting it in your recycling bins can deem the entire load contaminated. Instead it is best to reuse that festive paper for next year, so take your time unwrapping gifts!
Cardboard Boxes: RECYCLE
If you have plain cardboard boxes laying around, break them down and toss them in your blue bin. As long as they are not colored and do not have any special embellishments, they are able to be recycled.
Leftovers: REDUCE
Are you sick and tired of all those Thanksgiving leftovers? Leave them to compost and you can use the organic material as fertilizer in your garden come spring!
Fir wreathes, Christmas trees, cinnamon sticks, berries and spices: REUSE
Do you have holiday decorations that are too pretty to be thrown away? Be creative and reuse those holiday embellishments — create potpourri with fir needles, cinnamon, and dried berries, fashion centerpieces with branches off your Christmas tree, or make small adornments to hang over doorways and lights all winter.
Tissue paper: RECYCLE
Most tissue papers are already made from recycled material, and have short fibers which make recycling a breeze. However, be mindful of keeping your colored tissue paper separate from any white paper you may have in the same bin.
Cutlery and tableware: REUSE
Instead of wasting paper products during all those holiday parties, simply use festive cutlery and table settings. You can buy them once, just wash them and they will be set for your next get together.
Recycling during the holidays doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply follow this list and you will combine the best of both worlds — holiday spirit and eco-friendliness!
