Live Christmas Trees
When all the holiday festivities are over, what are you supposed to do with that Christmas tree? Recycle it! You can't just throw it in the trash, instead you should bring it to a place that will compost it, or chip it and burn it for fuel. Many pick-up services that normally don't pick up yard waste through out the winter months will serve their routes for a couple weeks in January, and there are also places you can drop off your Christmas tree.
Whether you are dropping off your live tree or it is being picked up by your waste hauler, these rules apply. You must make sure you have removed ALL:
- Ornaments
- Lights
- Tinsel
- Stands
- Bags (That's right-don't put your tree out on the curb in a bag, and if you drop it off you'll likely be required to remove the bag and take it with you.)
Trees that have been painted or flocked (sprayed with paint, glitter, or other material) cannot be composted.
If your tree is taller than six feet, many services will want it cut in half.
If you would like your tree to be picked up for composting, call your yard waste or trash hauler to find out if they offer the service and their schedule for doing so. Some yard waste facilities also have collection programs; click here for Rethink Recycling's listing of facilities that accept Christmas trees. These yard waste facilities are all throughout the metro. Most will charge a minimal fee to take your tree.
Artificial Christmas Trees
Artificial trees should be used as many times as possible. If you're getting rid of yours, see if there are friends or family who would like it, or ask about donation opportunities around your area. If it is time to throw your artificial tree, consider if any parts of the tree can be recycled. If not, the tree has to go in the trash. Call your trash hauler to find out if they have any special requirements.
Holiday Decorations
Besides Christmas trees, we all have many other holiday decorations in our homes. When you're ready to get rid of those other decorations, think about reusing and recycling them rather than throwing them in the trash. We often decide to get rid of holiday decorations like ornaments and knick-knacks even when they aren't worn out. If that's the case, consider giving them to a friend or family member who would enjoy them, or donate them to a non-profit or second-hand store. You can share holiday cheer and keep them out of landfills!
Holiday Lights Recycling Opportunities - If you're ready for new holiday lights for your house or tree, or have some that don't work, there's a great new program in the metro area that you should take advantage of. The Recycling Association of Minnesota has created a project called "Recycle Your Holidays". You can bring any working or non-working holiday lights to a drop-off box at your nearest Snyders Drug Store. When you bring in your lights you'll get a $5 gift card to use on a $20 or higher purchase at Snyders. That's $5 off a new set of LED holiday lights for you! (You can also bring in electrical and phone cords-no adaptors.) There are many drop-off locations; visit www.recycleminnesota.org for the locations near you.
Live Wreaths and Greenery - Wreaths and greenery that are made from live evergreen can generally be recycled in the same manner as described above for live Christmas trees. Again, they must be free of ornaments, lights, tinsel and wire and cannot be painted or flocked.
Gifts Recycling - Explore more of RethinkRecycling.com for tips on recycling cell phones, batteries, gaming systems and other electronics around the holidays. And of course, don't forget to recycle cardboard gift boxes and appropriate packaging!
Wrapping paper - Generally, wrapping paper is not considered recyclable. Explore other materials to use instead of store-bought wrapping paper, like newspaper, comics, maps, magazine or book pages. If you are going to buy new, look for wrapping paper that's labeled as recyclable (will generally contain less ink and no foil) or buy wrapping paper that is made from recycled content paper. For more information, visit Rethink Recycling's paper page.
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