You should be recycling all year in order to protect the environment and reuse our resources. Recycling works. In fact, more than a third of all paper is made with recycled fibers. However, winter recycling comes with its own special challenges. If you want to recycle successfully in the wintertime, here are three recycling tips to get you started.
Recycle or Donate Old Belongings
During the holidays, people receive a lot of presents. Many of these presents are replacements for older belongings that they already own. This means they’re likely to be getting rid of more old belongings than they would at other times of the year. If you are in this situation, don’t throw out your old belongings. If they are still usable, donate them instead. This will provide another person with something they need and keep it out of the landfill. If the item does not work anymore, look into how you can recycle it. Your community’s recycling department can help you with recycling tips for more uncommon items.
Compost Your Christmas Tree
If you have a real Christmas tree, don’t throw it away at the end of the holidays. It will end up in a landfill that way. Compost your tree in order to recycle its nutrients back into the soil. If you have a compost bin, you can chop it up and do it yourself. If you don’t, ask around in your community. By recycling natural materials, you can help the environment and keep unnecessary material out of landfills.
Wait Until Morning for Curbside
Nobody wants to be up early to put their recycling on the curb. This is why recycling tips often suggest doing it the night before. However, you shouldn’t put it out the night before during winter. If it snows at night, your recycling could become contaminated. Or strong winds might blow the bin over, scattering its contents all over the road. Wait until the last minute to put out your recycling in the winter.
Recycling in winter can be difficult and unpleasant. However, it is still important to do it as often as you can. In order to make it a little easier to recycle this winter, follow these recycling tips in your own life.
