This year, lighten your holiday celebrations by reducing waste and recycling right!
Here are some holiday waste reduction tips:

• Purchase wrapping paper, cards, and gifts made with recycled content.
• Gift personal belongings that you no longer use.
• Wrap gifts with newspaper, comics, and pages from old magazines.
• Opt for reusable gift bags and wraps instead of single-use wrapping paper.
• Gift your experiences or services instead of things, or connect with Buy Nothing groups.
• Buy used and local to support your community’s economy and check out materials exchange groups on social media.

Avoid throwing these items into your recycling bin. If they are in good shape, store them for future holidays to come!

• String lights
• metallic, glittery, or foil-lined papers wrapping papers
• ribbons & bows
•  tissue paper
• gift bags
• foam packaging
• plastic shipping envelopes
• holiday cards with glitter, metallic, or foil elements

You can recycle cardboard boxes, recyclable or compostable holiday cards, and wrapping paper that doesn’t include the elements above.

For more helpful tips, visit DEC’s “Living the Green Life” webpage.