How To Recycle During The Holidays

A lot of gift wrapping materials get tossed out every year during the holiday season. If you want to reduce your waste output, try these holiday recycling tips.

If you want to do your part, here’s how you can make your holiday season greener:

• Use recyclable wrapping paper: Foil and shiny wrapping paper can’t be recycled, so opt for post-consumer wrapping paper and packaging. And don’t forget to actually recycle it.
• Get creative when wrapping presents: Old newspapers, maps, and comic books are all great ways to wrap a gift without being wasteful.
• Remove bows and ribbons before recycling: Before you toss your recyclable wrapping paper in the proper bin, pull off all non-recyclable pieces and save them for later use. Many ribbons, bows, and other decorative pieces can be attached with gifts with a single piece of clear tape.
• Use gift bags instead: Wrapping paper looks lovely, but you can re-use a gift bag over and over. You can even buy non-holiday themed bags so you can use them for birthdays and other events.

Also, be sure to fold your wrapping paper before recycling — don’t crumple it up into a ball. It helps if you have a bag ready to collect all of your folded wrapping paper before you start opening gifts. And if you can’t recycle it, shred it and use it as packing material when you send out gifts next year. 

How to Recycle During the Holidays [YouTube]