How to Handle Your Holiday Waste

‘Tis the season for large amounts of waste to enter your regular trash. From boxes to wrapping paper and more, the amount of trash we produce always increases this time of year. In fact, statistics show that Americans throw away 25% more trash during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than at any other time of year.

While it may be impossible to not accumulate so much trash, you can be smart about how you dispose of it. Many items don’t have to weigh down your trash can because they can be recycled. But, there are also other items that should not make their way into your recycling bin for one reason or another. 

At Sweitzer Waste Removal, we’re committed to helping our customers with their waste removal whether it’s with regular trash pick-up or recycling services. That’s why we have compiled these tips on how to handle your holiday waste.

Handling Holiday Waste

Items to Recycle

Recycling as many items as you can is the best thing you can do for the environment. When it comes to holiday waste, you can put the following items in your recycling bin:

• Cardboard and paper boxes for gifts
• Plain wrapping paper & gift bags
• Holiday cards and envelopes that don’t have glitter and glue
• Sticky gift tags that are affixed to an envelope or wrapping paper (they can’t be recycled by themselves)

When you’re putting items in your recycling bin, don’t bag them. The bags are not good for recycling equipment. Also, if you’re recycling containers with plastic lids, be sure to attach them. Some are too small to get recycled alone.

What Not to Put in Your Recycling Bin

While we would like to recycle everything, unfortunately, some holiday waste items just can’t be recycled. These include:

• Cellophane
• Bubble wrap
• Christmas lights
• Ribbons & Bows
• Foam packaging
• Batteries

While some items are pretty cut and dry when it comes to whether they can be recycled, others form a bit of a gray area. Food and beverage containers fall into this category. 

Here are some tips when it comes to these items:

• Metal soup and vegetable cans can usually be recycled unless they have an insulated interior coating. 
• Hard plastic containers are recyclable.
• Boxes from baking mixes can be recycled, but not plastic bags. 
• Be sure all recycled food containers are clean and dry of any residue.

When it comes to holiday waste, take the time to sort items to be sure they end up in the proper area, whether it’s your garbage can or your recycling bin. This will help your garbage carrier as well as the environment.

Do You Need Garbage Pick-Up or Recycling Services?

Sweitzer Waste Removal is your source for residential waste pick-up, as well as commercial waste services and recycling. We offer reliable and efficient service to many communities throughout Connecticut.

For more information on our services, contact us at 203-245-8840 or reach out to us online. Let us show you why so many turn to Sweitzer Waste Removal!