5 Key Tips For Recycling Christmas Trash Correctly

Now that Christmas is over, crews are expecting a surge of trash and recyclables out by the curb. Next week, there will be more trash, and recycling, than usual.

The usual volume in dumpster and curbside carts is about 9 million pounds of recyclables a month. That goes up by 10% around Christmas, but not everything should be in there.

Understanding what can and can’t go in your recycling cart is key to keeping the process efficient and safe. Here are five important things to keep in mind when recycling holiday waste.

Avoid Shiny Wrapping Paper

“This is the wrapping paper we don’t want right here, anything that’s shiny like this, just put it in the trash,” said Robert Pickens with American Waste Control.

Shiny or metallic wrapping paper can’t be recycled and should be discarded in regular trash bins.

Keep Styrofoam Out of the Bin

Styrofoam is a common holiday packaging material, but it should never go in the recycling bin. Pickens emphasized that this material is problematic for sorting systems and can’t be processed properly.

“We’ve had some Styrofoam and plastic bags come through we don’t like to see in recyclables. Please keep those out,” he said.

Always dispose of Styrofoam in the trash.

Plastic Bags Are a No-Go

While plastic bags are often used to wrap gifts or protect items during shipping, they should not be placed in curbside recycling bins.

The Risk of Lithium Batteries

The number one worry is a lithium battery catching fire. It's happened before in the plant, which is why American Waste Control installed automatic fire nozzles over the machine.

“It’s easier, it’s much safer for our people number one, and it’s less material we have to remove that shouldn’t be in there,” Pickens said. Be sure to dispose of lithium batteries at a certified recycling center, not in your curbside recycling bin.

Cardboard is Recyclable—Just Keep It Clean

After gifts are unwrapped, cardboard boxes often make up a large portion of recycling bins. Fortunately, most cardboard packaging is recyclable, but it needs to be clean. Remove any leftover tape, labels, or other contaminants before recycling.

“Just keep the Styrofoam and the film plastic that wraps an item, put that in the trash, but a tremendous amount of packaging you get during the holiday season can go in that recycling cart,” Pickens said.

He notes that contamination is decreasing in Tulsa, with residents making strides in proper recycling practices.

“We're real real excited about that, getting that number down,” he said.

The City of Tulsa and eight surrounding communities use the same recycling service, curbside, and drop-off dumpsters. Feed Mr. Murph has a complete list of what can and can't be recycled.