The Dos and Don’ts of Holiday Recycling

We’re literally only days away from one of Minnesota’s favorite holidays – Christmas! With the holiday season comes plenty of cocktail parties, present-wrapping sessions, and holiday dinners. Unfortunately, with all that jubilation comes a whole bunch of waste. And while many leftover bits and bobs are recyclable, you might be surprised to discover that some items have no place in a recycling bin.

How are you supposed to know what goes in and what stays out? Well, that’s what these handy-dandy holiday tips are all about. So, grab a cup of cocoa, kick up your feet, and learn a few dos and don’ts of holiday recycling. Mama Earth will thank you!

Christmas Wrapping Paper

You know all that ripped-up wrapping paper you toss in the trash after Christmas morning is over? Most of it can be recycled.

•  DO recycle your used or unused wrapping paper after removing ribbons and bows. Before you toss this type of paper in the recycling, do the “scrunch” test to make sure it’s allowable. What’s the “scrunch” test? If you scrunch up the paper and its stays in a ball, you’re good to go.
  
• DO NOT put Christmas wrapping paper in the recycling if it doesn’t stay scrunched up.

Christmas Envelopes and Cards

It feels great getting Christmas cards from friends, family, and co-workers. It can feel even better to recycle them.

• DO recycle your unwanted Christmas cards and envelopes if they’re made out of normal paper.
• DO NOT recycle these items if they have a lot of foil or glitter on or within the card. Instead, throw glittery cards in the trash along with wrapping paper that doesn’t pass the “scrunch” test.

Real Christmas Trees

Nothing says, “the holidays are here,” like putting your Christmas tree up (hopefully after Thanksgiving 😉). But what should you do with your live Christmas tree once the holiday is over and presents are unwrapped?

• DO use your real Christmas tree for mulch, compost, or as a tree stake. Going this route is free and adds more value to your purchase.
• DO NOT get rid of real Christmas trees in a paper recycling bin. You can visit this website for a list of places that accept Christmas trees for recycling.

Fake Christmas Trees

Artificial trees are great because they look real and can be reused many times. Unfortunately, they don’t last forever.

• DO bring your fake Christmas trees to our recycling facility in Burnsville, MN. If you have questions about other holiday items that you want to donate, give us a shout at 952-894-1448.
• DO NOT throw artificial trees that come with lights and other electronics in the general trash.

Unwanted or Old Toys

Seeing the joy on a child’s face when you give them your favorite toy is a priceless moment. However, kids can be quite fickle and, within a week or two, might not even want to play with their new action figure or doll.

• DO remove any toys from the original packaging and recycle any cardboard or paper materials.
• DO NOT forget to remove batteries from any electronic toys before recycling or throwing the toys away.

Christmas Lights

Who doesn’t love to go looking at Christmas lights as the holiday gets closer? Christmas lights make the season bright and merry, but you must be cautious when recycling them.

• DO properly recycle your Christmas lights. To do so, you can simply drop them off at your nearest recycling center. We here at Certified Recycling have a recycling center in Burnsville, and we’ll gladly recycle your Christmas lights for you.
• DO NOT just throw your old or unwanted Christmas lights in the trash or somewhere else. They can be recycled!

Contact Us Today for Info on Our Recycling Services

We really dig recycling. We like it so much, in fact, that if you don’t have time to drop off your item at our warehouse in Burnsville, we’ll gladly come to you. Our fleet of trucks run routes across the Twin Cities every week, making both in-home and curbside pickups.