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Christmas may be the happiest time of the year, but it is also the time when people add extra pounds - and we're not talking weight - we're talking trash! Americans generally create 5 pounds of trash per person per day. But with wrapping paper, boxed gifts, holiday cards and decorations, we create much more. The good news is much of the holiday splendor is recyclable!
Let's start at the top: During the holidays, customers receive loads of coupons advertising great Christmas deals. Some savvy shoppers make the most out of these discounts, but eventually all of the mailers and newspaper inserts are thrown away - or recycled. Those unused coupons go right into the bright blue recycling bins at drop off locations around town. Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year. Luckily junk mail is one of the items accepted as part of single-stream recycling.
After buying the gift comes wrapping the gift, which is why an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays in the U.S., most of which is wrapping paper. The great thing about wrapping paper and Christmas cards is they are recyclable!
Next on our Christmas list: The boxes your decorations come in. That new inflated Santa Clause outside the house may look adorable, but the box it came in will only take up more landfill space. Instead, please flatten and recycle cardboard boxes - including the boxes your gifts come in - and produce less trash. Many toys and appliances come in
Treecycling: Christmas trees can be recycled, too. Trees can be dropped off at the Foothills Landfill in Las Cruces or at any county collection center to be turned into compost. Please make sure you remove all ornaments, tinsel and fake snow before recycling.
After your holiday parties, you can recycle aluminum and steel cans and water/soda bottles (preferably with the caps off so they can be recycled faster). Remember glass is not accepted at the blue bins. But wine bottles and other beverage glass bottles can be recycled at any Target.
These items are not recyclable so they should be thrown away with the regular household waste:
•Ribbons
•Plastic wrappings
•Ornaments
•Decorations
Please, be nice when it comes to recycling. We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year. If you have recycling questions, please call the SCSWA at (575) 528-3800.
Recycling Connections is submitted by Suzanne Michaels, Education and Public Outreach, for the South Central Solid Waste Authority named 2010 Solid Waste Authority of the Year by the New Mexico Recycling Coalition. The SCSWA is the city/county agency responsible for managing solid waste and recycling in Las Cruces and Do-a Ana County.
