Holiday Waste Items – What can be recycled?

Regardless of how we celebrate the holidays, they always seem to generate a lot of unwanted materials: envelopes, wrapping paper, torn bags both paper and plastic, dried out trees and more. 

Nearly all unwanted paper can be recycled, including gift wrap. Just remember to remove any bows and ribbons with the exception of metallic paper, such as silver, gold or metal flecked, which must be placed in the garbage.

Tissue paper is a substantially lower quality paper and heavily dyed, but it can be recycled with other paper. Just don’t recycle paper napkins, paper towels or tissues.

Cards and tags are easily recycled along with any paper bags (remove cloth or rope handles from decorative paper bags that can’t be reused).

Try to reuse plastic bags, but if you have too many or they’ve ripped, then recycle them at the grocery store along with newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags, bread bags, produce bags, plastic bubble wrap, sandwich bags, plastic cereal box liners, Tyvek (no glue, labels, other material), plastic shipping envelopes, and case wrap (the plastic covering snacks & beverage cases).

Many communities offer Christmas Tree collection for “live” trees. Check to learn if the trees are recycled or sent to the landfill.  If you don’t have this service or if they will be disposed, try dropping them off at one of the three Will County Forest Preserve sites that are grinding them up as mulch for trails.

Lastly, if you find your recycling bins are overflowing, use some boxes for the extra material or take items to one of the County’s traditional recycling drop-off sites. The New Lenox Township office has one open weekdays 8-3:30 and the fourth Saturday of the month!

Find all this information and more at www.willcountygreen.com and a have a wonderful holiday season!