Just when you have your home looking its best for the holidays, an eruption of gifts, food, and toys throws it all out of whack. Holiday get-togethers, even small ones, generate gift wrap, boxes, and leftovers everywhere.
How do you derive order out of this happy chaos? Here’s what to do with all that holiday garbage. In fact, if your sustainability skills need a boost, the holidays are a great time to pick up responsible waste management habits.
Trees and Other Organic Decorations
What came from the earth can usually return to the earth. Check with your local forest preserve agency or municipality to see if they run a tree recycling program. Many agencies designate a drop-off area where they’ll collect natural trees, garlands, and other decorative evergreen branches. They’ll run these through chippers to create mulch to use along woodland paths and in gardens.
Wrapping Paper and Cards
If paper and cards have flourishes like glitter, mini pom-poms, or plastic pieces, don’t put them in your recycling bin. The same is true for ribbons and bows; these can tangle up recycling equipment and ruin a bale of recycled material with impurities.
Save bows and ribbons to reuse next year. With greeting cards, tear off the part that doesn’t have any embellishments for recycling, and get crafty with the rest. Use glittery holiday scenes from greeting cards in glass jar centerpieces or cut them into jigsaw puzzles for the kids.
Leftovers
Reduce plastic waste by investing in reusable silicone food storage bags for leftovers. These can go in the dishwasher and come out clean to pack up the remains of next holiday’s feast. Of course, the best way to deal with leftovers is to eat them! Don’t store them for so long that the food goes bad and you have to throw it away anyway.
Boxes, Bottles, and Cans
Cardboard is recyclable, and you’ll get a lot more of it into your bin if you break the boxes down first. In fact, recycling a ton of cardboard saves as many as 17 trees!
Recycling centers can usually remove packing tape. What recycling centers don’t want is food waste. If you toss a can, carton, or bottle into the recycling bin without rinsing it out first, your good intentions may end up in a landfill regardless. Food residue creates impurities in recycled paper products, making them less attractive to buyers.
Lights, Foam Packaging, and Defunct Electronics
These can’t go in your recycling bin, but your local solid waste agency may offer an alternative option. City or county recycling centers will often accept holiday lights, Styrofoam packaging, and used electronics. If you took advantage of holiday deals to replace an old television, ask if you can drop it off at a recycling center in your area.
When you know what to do with all that holiday garbage, getting your organized home back will seem much less daunting!
