Remember Recycling During Your Flurry of Gift-giving

Think back to your fondest Christmas morning memory
– or some other celebration when lots of gifts were opened – and
visualize the setting.
Think back to your fondest Christmas morning memory – or some other celebration when lots of gifts were opened – and visualize the setting.

There were probably lots of smiling people, piles of gifts, and oodles of good cheer to go around.

What you didn’t see, unless your family is an ecological superstar, were neatly separated piles of discarded paper, ribbons, Styrofoam, cardboard, and trash. We’re aiming to add recycling to your gift opening celebrations.

The City’s Christmas Morning Recycling Kit is a low-tech resource designed to encourage recycling during these special holiday celebrations. It includes:

• Instructions that even men should read

• A collection bag for mixed paper

• A clear bag for saving reusable bows and ribbons

• A plastic bag for collecting Styrofoam peanuts and strips

• An envelope for collecting holiday cards with ideas for ways to reuse them

• A list of locations to take your used toys and clothes that get cleaned out of your home to make room for the new ones

• A trash bag for the remaining nonreusable or nonrecyclable items

• A response postcard so you can let us know how the kit worked

While simple in design, these kits could be just the thing to keep your holiday from becoming a hauliday. You can pick one up for free at City Hall, Booksmart, or the Community and Cultural Center.

Eco-Fact of the Week:  Due to the fact that Christmas Day and New Years Day both fall on a Sunday this year, there will be no garbage service changes or interruptions due to the holidays.

Please remember that your live Christmas tree is officially yard trimmings and should be set out with your yard trimmings – not your trash.

Flocked trees are included in the yard trimmings collection program. Please remove all decorations and stands.

Eco-Web Pages of the Week:  For creative ideas on wrapping your gifts with less waste, go to www. ciwmb.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays/NoWaste.htm#2 .