Bunches of wrapping paper, stacks of cardboard boxes, and piles of festive cards. You’ll see them in many homes in the wake of the holiday season.
This week, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, or OCRRA, is reminding everyone that it’s important to dispose of that waste properly and only put items that are supposed to be in the blue bins out for recycling pickup.
“When things that are not recyclable go in there, it can cause a lot of problems at the recycling plant,” said Lisa Piering, a recycling specialist with OCRRA. “So, it is really important that we avoid what we like to call ‘wish-cycling.’”
Piering said when it comes to sorting, some items can be trickier than they seem, like wrapping paper and cards.
"If they are just paper, then they're recyclable,” said Piering. “But if there's a lot of glitter or metallic foil on them, then those have to go in the trash."
Cardboard boxes are recyclable. Tissue paper goes in the trash. Bubble wrap and plastic bags cannot go in the blue bin. They could get wrapped around machinery at the recycling plant. However, some big box stores do accept them.
Items that can be recycled should not go in plastic bags. They should go right into the blue bin.
Piering said it’s also a good time of year to remember the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” and see whether some holiday items could be used again, like boxes. She said it’s something she does with her own family.
"We're using boxes from stores that have gone out of business years ago,” said Piering. “It's fun because you know, you get the wrapping paper off, and then you notice, I still don't know what this is because this box has nothing to do with what's inside it."
As for Christmas trees, fake ones that can’t be reused would have to go in the trash. Real ones can be taken to OCRRA’s Amboy or Jamesville composting sites. The program runs from January 3rd to 7th from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Piering said it might be extended into the following week as well.
Piering said if you’re not sure whether something should be recycled, “when in doubt, throw it out.” OCRRA also has resources on its website to provide more information.
