With all of the parties, decorations, gift-giving, and traveling that happens during the holiday season - most people are putting more waste into the environment than usual. 

Who doesn’t love the surprise of opening a wrapped gift? Once you have removed the wrapping paper, don’t throw it in the garbage - you may be able to recycle it! 

Unsure on what you should do with all of the extra wrapping paper, Christmas lights, gift boxes, and your tree? 

Use the guide below to learn what can and can't be recycled this holiday season… 

What CAN be Recycled 

When decorating for Christmas or wrapping presents, try to stick to these recyclable items to stay on Santa’s nice list: 

• Paper gift bags
• Cardboard boxes
• Paper cards and envelopes
• Paper wrap without metallic and glitter 
• Wrapping paper tubes
• Magazines 

What CAN’T be Recycled 

When it comes to gift wrapping, there are a lot of different materials that could be on or in your gifts. These materials cannot be recycled - trying to avoid using these items or reusing them is ideal: 

• Metallic, glossy, and glitter-covered wrapping paper 
• Ribbons, bows, and twine
• Polystyrene packing peanuts
• Tissue paper 

Some items are accepted and the Household Hazardous Waste facility, including: 

• Batteries
• Bubble Wrap

Holiday string lights can be brought to Home Depot for proper disposal. 

Composting 

Don’t forget about composting! Live Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands are all biodegradable which means they can be composted!  

Ask Rockland Green 

Make your holiday season environmentally friendly by recycling, reusing, and composting.

If you are interested in learning more about recycling during the holiday season, Rockland Green is a resource for you. Contact us with any questions you may have!