Green Living Series: Post-Holiday Recycling

After a week of getting “back into the normal, daily grind”, how are you dealing with your home’s post-holiday clean-up? If you are like most of us and have waited until now (the first weekend of January) and is feeling confused and overwhelmed on how and where to start, then here are some ideas on how to sustainably put away, recycle and dispose of your special holiday items.

Christmas Tree
If you own an Artificial Christmas Tree, remember to keep it as long as you can, a minimum of 10 years if possible to offset the carbon footprint it created when it was produced and shipped to you. With this, make sure to pack and store properly in a dry area of your home, you can even make use of those huge gift or delivery boxes and tissue stuffings to ensure that it stays dry and secure until next Christmas.

Now, if you opted for a real Christmas Tree this year and actually have the space for it, try to repot it if it’s re-pottable at all. In case you need to dispose of it, try to ensure it doesn’t go straight to a landfill by looking for other options like a drop-off at your local recycling station. These recycling stations repurpose these trees for other things - mulching, composting, etc.

For other resources you can use to determine how to locally recycle your tree, check out these online websites:
https://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org
https://search.earth911.com

Decorations
For your plastic decorations, the best option when it’s still in pristine condition is to keep and reuse it, that is why packing and storing it properly is important so it stays in good condition for next time. If the vibe just isn’t “you” anymore and you want some fresh decors next time (maybe considering going all natural next Christmas), then donating them is a good option as well.

Christmas Lights can easily be stored and reused. It’s also easily repurposed and used for different occasions - birthdays, anniversaries, date nights or simply just keeping it somewhere for that vibe. Use it as long as possible because they do last years when properly stored. You can also check your local hardware for some trade-in options, certain Best Buy and Staples stores accept electronic waste either for trade-in or to help you in disposing certain items properly (ie batteries).

And remember, natural-based decors are also compostable! Think dry leaves, twigs, branches, paper-based products with no glue (napkins, towels, etc).

Gift-Related Items
If you’re looking to return items you are not too keen on, you can check our previous post on sustainable gift returns and alternatives. For other items like wrapping paper, ribbons and tissue, you can easily fold and store so you can reuse next time or on your next gift-giving occasion. You can also repurpose some items for an arts and crafts activity. And if these wrappers are not lined, do not have glitter or glue in it, you can easily compost them too!

Food
Perceived to be the less daunting but only because it’s easy to throw away, please don’t. Food waste is #1 in terms of items filling up our landfills. There are multiple way to repurpose your leftovers. Make sure to freeze leftovers so they store for up to a few weeks or months, depending on the food and you can easily reheat for an impromptu holiday meal on a weekday thing. You can also transform that holiday dish to something entirely new, set your creative mind free and with some yummy condiments and seasoning can turn any dish into a sandwich, panini, casserole, dip, broth, soup, etc. And don’t forget to compost - food scraps, coffee grounds, fruit rinds, bread, these items and more are definitely compostable.

If the spirit of giving is still alive and well in your heart, then you can also choose to donate your leftovers (or repurposed dish) to your local shelter, church/parish or organize your very own food drive. Your leftovers can be someone’s best meal of the year.

And if all else fails, making a call to your local Waste Management Bureau to see what the best options for you are, is a quick and easy task to do. You can even schedule some waste or recycling pick-ups if they offer it in your area.

It’s a daunting process but take it one step at a time, or make it a fun family activity. Have a chore list so each family member has a responsibility, put on some fun music or an easy movie to watch in the background, pop some popcorn (or hot choco) and make it enjoyable for everyone, plus, you won’t have to do it all alone!

How did your post-holiday clean-up go? Tell us all about it! If you have any questions or if you want to contribute at all, send us an email at hello@humbleearthinitiative.com