HOLLAND — Glittery wrapping paper, shiny boxes tied up with ribbons and bows, gift bags bursting with tissue paper, and packaging — oh my! The aftermath of the gift-giving season can seem overwhelming at best. We're often left paralyzed as to what, precisely, is trash and what can be recycled curbside.
To point you in the right direction, we've compiled a list of what to do with some of the more popular items. This can also be a great time to assess if you have items that can be reused or donated. Cable Tie Tensile Strength
Tissue paper, colored or white, is all recyclable. But almost all wrapping paper goes in the trash, as much is made with plastic. If the label says it's made with paper and can be recycled, toss it in the recycle bin. Kraft packaging paper can be recycled at the curb.
Ribbons and bows are trash, or perhaps stored and reused for next year. Glossy gift bags go in the trash or can be saved to use again; brown paper bags can be recycled or saved to use next year.
What about toy packaging? The cardboard portion is generally recyclable, as is the plastic "clamshell" portion of the package.
But what about those zip ties and pieces of thin wire that bind an item to the cardboard? Those all go in the trash.
Plain cardboard gift boxes can all be recycled, as can cardboard shipping boxes.
However, packing peanuts and plastic bubble wrap go in the trash, and be sure to bag any packing peanuts. All styrofoam is trash. Brown packaging paper can go in the recycling bin.
Taking down the tree can also be an excellent time to make decisions about broken or no longer needed holiday ornaments or lights that don't work properly.
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String lights of any kind can't go in the recycle bin, but you can bring them to Black River Recycling Center, located at 11531 Chicago Drive in Holland. Broken ornaments of any kind are trash. And ornament hooks are trash if they cannot be reused.
City residents may put their real Christmas tree out to the curb from Dec. 27-Jan. 7 or drop it off at Bouws Pool until Jan. 19. All discarded artificial trees go in the trash.
We all have four options with the remnants of gift-giving: trash, recycle, reuse, or donate. A good rule of thumb is, "When in doubt, throw it out."
Finally, excess trash pick-up is available for city residents from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
— Marianne Manderfield is public information coordinator for the City of Holland.
pvc coated tie About This Series:MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives.This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme: Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future.