WHO KNEW Not All of Our Holiday Gift Wrapping Is Recyclable
The holidays: friends, family, festivities… and, according to a #RecycleYourHolidays post on the Lebanon Landfill website, about 25% more trash than at any other time of year. Here are some suggestions to help cut down on holiday-related paper waste.
Much of the wrapping paper sold in big box stores and pharmacies has glitter, foil, flock, or a glossy coating of plastic. It cannot be recycled. Here’s a test: crumple up a small piece of the paper in your hand. If it stays in a ball, you can put it in your paper recycling bin. If the paper tends to spring back into a sheet, it has to go into the trash.
Gift wrap made of recycled paper may be hard to find, but there are alternatives. You can buy a roll of recycled brown paper and, if you’re feeling creative, draw your own designs on it. You can use newsprint, especially the colorful Sunday comics pages. Or try reusable gift bags. Again, avoid bags made of glossy paper and glitter, and try to stick with plain paper.
Note that labels should always be removed before recycling.
As for bows, most of the ones we buy are made of plastic and are not recyclable at all. But if you put a little tape on the back tab they can be reused for years. The thin ribbon we often use is also made of plastic and cannot be recycled. In fact if it contaminates a load of recycled paper it can become entangled in the machinery, shutting down the whole process. Instead of using plastic ribbon, use strips of fabric or make braids of colorful yarn. These can be saved and reused.
As for USPS and Amazon containers, generally recyclers will take paper boxes and corrugated cartons but not envelopes lined with plastic bubble wrap. Styrofoam peanuts used in packages can usually be taken to a UPS store. Bubble wrap can be recycled at Hannafords in their plastic bag recycling collection container
Also, save any styrofoam packaging for a recycling event to be scheduled this winter. Watch our Tuesday “Who Knew” posts for the date.
Happy holidays to everyone!