This Christmas, small choices can make a big impact for the earth and Waste Management is asking all of us to think twice about what we recycle. Putting something in recycling that should be trash creates a big headache.
“Christmas lights, hoses, extension cords, things like that wrap around our machines and bring our operations to a halt," Jennifer Wargo with Waste Management said.
Even what you wrap, or put your holiday gifts in, have different recycling rules.
Plain paper gift bags can be recycled, but shiny gift bags can not.
Wargo says getting creative can be an environmentally friendly way to reduce, reuse, and rejoice this year.
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“There’s a lot of alternatives to wrapping paper you can use," Wargo said. "There’s the old newspaper trick, you can use decorative fabric. I have even heard of someone using old curtains to wrap up their gifts.”
Being able to recycle more items may be on your holiday wish list, but when in doubt, it’s probably best to throw it out.
“We call it ‘wish-cycling,'" Wargo said. "People want something to be recycled — they think if it’s made out of plastic, it must be recyclable. But if it’s not a bottle, jug, jar, or tub, and it’s plastic, it’s not recyclable.”
Check out Waste Management's recycling guide for common holiday trash here.
