Holiday Recycling Reminder
Posted on: November 10, 2015 - 11:24am
Reduce Trash this Holiday Season
What to recycle, creatively reuse, and compost
During the holiday season, the average American family disposes of 25% more trash than they
usually do (source: US EPA). Think about your household: could some of this trash be reduced, reused,
recycled or composted? When residents reduce their holiday trash, they can save money on “Pay As You
Throw” town trash stickers or bags, reduce carbon and methane emissions, and protect our environment.
Recycling Yes/No
The following paper items are on the “yes” list for household recycling, with certain exceptions:
wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, and paper greeting cards/envelopes. Do not recycle these paper
items if they contain metallic inks, glitter, or foil (for example, foil-lined envelopes). Tape and labels are
okay. Remove batteries from singing greeting cards before recycling the card.
Other recyclable paper items include catalogs, calendars, paper shopping bags, and cardboard
(corrugated and paperboard). Here’s a holiday tip: when opening or wrapping gifts, keep a paper bag
handy to collect paper recyclables.
These items are on the “no” list for household recycling: ribbons, bows, tinsel, glossy photo cards,
holiday light strings, Christmas tree netting, bubble wrap, paper envelopes lined with bubble wrap,
packing peanuts, Styrofoam in any form, plastic shipping envelopes, or the molded plastic used to
package toys, electronics, etc.
Some of these items, called “tanglers,” are not acceptable in municipal recycling programs
because they get wrapped around and tangled in the sorting equipment at recycling facilities: holiday light
strings, power cords, and Christmas tree netting.
Recyclables from Franklin County towns are processed at the Springfield Materials Recycling
Facility (MRF). For printable recycling guides, including a colorful yes/no holiday recycling guide, visit the
MRF’s website (springfieldmrf.org) and click on “What’s Recyclable.”
Recycling Options for Other Materials
Holiday light strings and power cords are accepted for recycling at scrap metal dealers and in the
scrap metal dumpsters at town transfer stations. In addition, mail-in programs are available at
holidayleds.com and christmas-light-source.com.
“Pack and ship” stores, for example The UPS Store in Greenfield, accept clean, dry packing
materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and inflatable “air pillow” packaging for reuse.
Plastic bag recycling programs at grocery and retail stores accept bubble wrap, plastic shipping
envelopes (no paper), inflatable “air pillow” packaging, and other bags/films marked #2 or #4. A list of
acceptable items is at: nextrex.com/view/educate#materials1.
Certain batteries (rechargeable, button, and lithium) are accepted for special recycling at transfer
stations; place in a bag or container and hand to attendant.
When the holidays are over, check with your town about Christmas tree recycling. Your tree may
be recycled as mulch this spring.
Creative Reuse
In addition to recycling, consider wrapping your gifts in reused materials. Gifts can be creatively
wrapped in reused wrapping paper, old calendar pages, sheet music, maps or map book pages, paper bags,
old posters, wallpaper scraps, fabric, scarves, newspaper, comics, or kids’ artwork.
Gifts can be wrapped in cloth bags, reusable decorative tins, reusable shopping bags, or baskets.
Or make the wrapping part of the gift; for example, a kitchen towel or oven mitt to hold kitchen utensils or
gadgets, or a book wrapped in a scarf.
Wrapped gifts can be tied up with twine and adorned with natural items such as pinecones, pine or
holly branches, shells, or buttons. Last year’s holiday cards can be cut up to reuse as beautiful gift cards.
One of the most important steps for
reusing materials is unwrapping gifts carefully
and saving gift wrap, gift boxes, ribbons,
bows and gift bags for reuse next year.
For a fun craft activity with kids, this
online tutorial from Tori Avey shows how to
make beautiful Hanukkah gift wrap with
homemade potato stamps:
toriavey.com/homemade-hanukkahwrapping-paper/ Grab some reused paper
bags, a couple of potatoes, and some acrylic
paint or stamp pads. Cut bag along the side
and bottom to make one big sheet. Cut the
potatoes in half and (adults) carve your
favorite holiday shapes into the flat potato
surface or use cookie cutters to press shapes
into ½ inch potato slices. When you are all
done, you can cut off the painted parts of the
potato and compost the rest!
Image used with permission from toriavey.com
Compost
Another way to reduce holiday trash is to compost food and paper waste generated from holiday
meals. Food scraps might seem small, but they add up: waste characterization studies performed by the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) show that 22% of the residential
trash in Massachusetts is food waste.
Municipal transfer station compost programs accept all types of solid food waste, including meat,
bones, cheese, plus paper waste such as paper napkins, paper towels, and more. Unacceptable items
include liquids, foil, metal, glass, and plastic. These programs accept compostable material are free of
charge, but transfer stations may require access permits or entrance fees). The following transfer stations
in Franklin County have compost programs: Bernardston, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield,
Greenfield (open to non-residents for a $5 host fee), Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange,
Shelburne, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately.
The Solid Waste District sells discounted “Earth Machine” home compost bins and compost pails
to District residents. Pricing is $25 or $65 depending on the resident’s town. It is not recommended to put
meat, bones, dairy in home compost bins. For more details and pricing, contact the solid waste district or
see: franklincountywastedistrict.org/Composting
For more information, contact Franklin County Solid Waste Management District: (413) 772-2438,
info@franklincountywastedistrict.org; or visit franklincountywastedistrict.org. MA Relay for the hearing
impaired: 711 or 1-800-439-2370 (TTY/TDD).
What to recycle, creatively reuse, and compost
During the holiday season, the average American family disposes of 25% more trash than they
usually do (source: US EPA). Think about your household: could some of this trash be reduced, reused,
recycled or composted? When residents reduce their holiday trash, they can save money on “Pay As You
Throw” town trash stickers or bags, reduce carbon and methane emissions, and protect our environment.
Recycling Yes/No
The following paper items are on the “yes” list for household recycling, with certain exceptions:
wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, and paper greeting cards/envelopes. Do not recycle these paper
items if they contain metallic inks, glitter, or foil (for example, foil-lined envelopes). Tape and labels are
okay. Remove batteries from singing greeting cards before recycling the card.
Other recyclable paper items include catalogs, calendars, paper shopping bags, and cardboard
(corrugated and paperboard). Here’s a holiday tip: when opening or wrapping gifts, keep a paper bag
handy to collect paper recyclables.
These items are on the “no” list for household recycling: ribbons, bows, tinsel, glossy photo cards,
holiday light strings, Christmas tree netting, bubble wrap, paper envelopes lined with bubble wrap,
packing peanuts, Styrofoam in any form, plastic shipping envelopes, or the molded plastic used to
package toys, electronics, etc.
Some of these items, called “tanglers,” are not acceptable in municipal recycling programs
because they get wrapped around and tangled in the sorting equipment at recycling facilities: holiday light
strings, power cords, and Christmas tree netting.
Recyclables from Franklin County towns are processed at the Springfield Materials Recycling
Facility (MRF). For printable recycling guides, including a colorful yes/no holiday recycling guide, visit the
MRF’s website (springfieldmrf.org) and click on “What’s Recyclable.”
Recycling Options for Other Materials
Holiday light strings and power cords are accepted for recycling at scrap metal dealers and in the
scrap metal dumpsters at town transfer stations. In addition, mail-in programs are available at
holidayleds.com and christmas-light-source.com.
“Pack and ship” stores, for example The UPS Store in Greenfield, accept clean, dry packing
materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and inflatable “air pillow” packaging for reuse.
Plastic bag recycling programs at grocery and retail stores accept bubble wrap, plastic shipping
envelopes (no paper), inflatable “air pillow” packaging, and other bags/films marked #2 or #4. A list of
acceptable items is at: nextrex.com/view/educate#materials1.
Certain batteries (rechargeable, button, and lithium) are accepted for special recycling at transfer
stations; place in a bag or container and hand to attendant.
When the holidays are over, check with your town about Christmas tree recycling. Your tree may
be recycled as mulch this spring.
Creative Reuse
In addition to recycling, consider wrapping your gifts in reused materials. Gifts can be creatively
wrapped in reused wrapping paper, old calendar pages, sheet music, maps or map book pages, paper bags,
old posters, wallpaper scraps, fabric, scarves, newspaper, comics, or kids’ artwork.
Gifts can be wrapped in cloth bags, reusable decorative tins, reusable shopping bags, or baskets.
Or make the wrapping part of the gift; for example, a kitchen towel or oven mitt to hold kitchen utensils or
gadgets, or a book wrapped in a scarf.
Wrapped gifts can be tied up with twine and adorned with natural items such as pinecones, pine or
holly branches, shells, or buttons. Last year’s holiday cards can be cut up to reuse as beautiful gift cards.
One of the most important steps for
reusing materials is unwrapping gifts carefully
and saving gift wrap, gift boxes, ribbons,
bows and gift bags for reuse next year.
For a fun craft activity with kids, this
online tutorial from Tori Avey shows how to
make beautiful Hanukkah gift wrap with
homemade potato stamps:
toriavey.com/homemade-hanukkahwrapping-paper/ Grab some reused paper
bags, a couple of potatoes, and some acrylic
paint or stamp pads. Cut bag along the side
and bottom to make one big sheet. Cut the
potatoes in half and (adults) carve your
favorite holiday shapes into the flat potato
surface or use cookie cutters to press shapes
into ½ inch potato slices. When you are all
done, you can cut off the painted parts of the
potato and compost the rest!
Image used with permission from toriavey.com
Compost
Another way to reduce holiday trash is to compost food and paper waste generated from holiday
meals. Food scraps might seem small, but they add up: waste characterization studies performed by the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) show that 22% of the residential
trash in Massachusetts is food waste.
Municipal transfer station compost programs accept all types of solid food waste, including meat,
bones, cheese, plus paper waste such as paper napkins, paper towels, and more. Unacceptable items
include liquids, foil, metal, glass, and plastic. These programs accept compostable material are free of
charge, but transfer stations may require access permits or entrance fees). The following transfer stations
in Franklin County have compost programs: Bernardston, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield,
Greenfield (open to non-residents for a $5 host fee), Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange,
Shelburne, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately.
The Solid Waste District sells discounted “Earth Machine” home compost bins and compost pails
to District residents. Pricing is $25 or $65 depending on the resident’s town. It is not recommended to put
meat, bones, dairy in home compost bins. For more details and pricing, contact the solid waste district or
see: franklincountywastedistrict.org/Composting
For more information, contact Franklin County Solid Waste Management District: (413) 772-2438,
info@franklincountywastedistrict.org; or visit franklincountywastedistrict.org. MA Relay for the hearing
impaired: 711 or 1-800-439-2370 (TTY/TDD).