Seasonal Recycling Tips
Seasonal tips to reduce waste year-round.
From holiday gift wrap to summer cookouts, each season brings new ways to reduce waste. Explore simple tips to make every time of year a step toward zero waste—and a more thoughtful, sustainable way of living.
Winter
Looking to Waste Less and Recycle Better this season? It begins with your holiday shopping!
Boxes and Packaging
As your online shopping starts showing up at your door, remember that cardboard boxes are recyclable. Bubble wrap and packing peanuts are not recyclable - save these items for reuse or discard them in your trash.
Wrapping Paper
Look for wrapping paper that isn’t metallic or shiny. Uncoated paper can be recycled and gift bags can be reused! Also, a reminder that ribbons or bows don't belong in your recycling bins. They’re not recyclable and they tangle in the sorting equipment. Instead: Reuse ribbons and bows, or place them in your garbage.
Sustainable Gift Ideas
Looking for gift ideas? How about something to help your loved ones live more #sustainably? Perhaps a compost bin, wool dryer balls, reusable shopping and produce bags, or a green home cleaning kit.
Holiday Decorations
When it’s time to take down your tree, you can send it off to a happy new life as mulch or compost. See if your community offers curbside tree collection or a drop-off location. Just don’t forget to take off all your decorations first. And if any ornaments or string lights have broken, be sure to put those in the garbage because they are not acceptable in your recycling bin. (Tip: some scrap metal collectors will accept string lights, so check locally).
Spring
Spring tips to Recycle Better!
School Locker
School’s Out for Summer! Wondering what can be recycled from your child’s locker? Loose papers and packets can go in your recycling bin. Books, binders, spiral notebooks, pens, and pencils cannot. Please consider donating books and any unused school supplies, or save them for next year! Crayola offers has a program called ColorCycle that will accept all brands of plastic markers, not just Crayola markers and eliminates them from ending up at the landfill. Consider this as an option for marker recycling!
April Showers Bring May Flowers
Did you know that wet recyclables are tough to sort and separate? If you have a recycling bin with a lid, we ask that you keep it closed. Thanks for doing your part to Recycle Better!
Summer
From barbecues and poolside parties to Independence Day and road trips, summer is full of opportunity to #RecycleBetter!
Drink Containers
Plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminum cans are accepted in Zero-Sort recycling. Please empty out all liquids before placing into your recycling bin.
Single Use Items
Single-use items like paper plates, utensils, and napkins are not accepted in Zero-Sort recycling. If you can, try to use reusable plates and utensils at your summer events.
Use of Charcoal
Safely disposing of charcoal is very important. When you are done serving up burgers and hot dogs on the grill, let the charcoal ash completely cool - cold to the touch - before disposing of it. Once the charcoal is completely cooled, wet-it down and wrap up the ash in aluminum foil and then toss it in the trash bin.
Fireworks
Fireworks are NOT accepted in recycling and need to be disposed of safely. Please bring them to your local household hazardous waste collection facility or HHW Collection Event. Check with your local town, hauler or fire department.
If this option is not available, completely submerge fireworks in a bucket of water and allow for them to soak for 24 hours. Double-wrap saturated fireworks in plastic wrap or plastic bags so they do not dry out. Once they are double wrapped, place them in the regular household trash bin and take them to your local transfer station for disposal.
Fall
As the season changes, don't forget these tips to help you Recycle Better!
Sweater Weather
When you make space in your closet for your cold-weather clothes, do you unload some of your summer clothes? Please keep in mind that clothing and textiles do not belong in your recycling bin. Instead, please take them to your local clothing donation or thrift shop!
Happy Fall
As the leaves start to come down, please remember that leaves do not belong in your recycling bin. Check locally to learn your community’s program for leaf and yard debris. Or consider starting a backyard compost pile for your leaves!
