Let's Celebrate a "Green" Christmas and Holiday season

12/17/2008

Here's some helpful tips to help you control your holiday waste.

The holiday season is upon us and with it comes the excess trash from most households as they deal with parties, presents and other holiday activities.  Since Fayetteville operates a Pay-As-You-Throw residential trash program, managing this extra volume can prove somewhat of a challenge.  Reminder- 2008 extra bag stickers can be used through January 15^th, 2009 for extra trash at holiday times.  Please use one sticker per 32 gallon trash bag.

 

 The City’s recycling markets requests that no wrapping paper or tissue paper be collected with our mixed paper; however, styrofoam packing peanuts and possibly bubble wrap can be taken to most mailing companies.  Please check with them before bringing this type of material to them.  Here’s some helpful hints as we go through this busy period of the year.

 Be creative with no wrap options.  Hide that large, unwieldy gift somewhere in the house or yard.  Give the recipient a card with a series of clues leading to the present.

• Wrap gifts in materials that can be reused, such as baskets, tins, scarves, and handkerchiefs.
• Gift bags are an attractive, reusable alternative to wrapping paper.
• Newspaper comic pages and magazines make unique gift wrap and they’re recyclable.  Old posters, maps, and blueprints work great also.
• If you purchase gift wrap, look for paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
• Unwrap gifts carefully.  Dedicate a collection area for gift wrap, trim, and boxes to be reused next year.
• Instead of styrofoam, packing peanuts and bubble wrap, cushion gifts with recyclable newsprint or plastic grocery bags, unbuttered popcorn, or corn-based packing peanuts that disintegrate in water.
• Save and reuse packing peanuts that you receive or donate them to a local mailing and shipping store.
• Avoid the holiday mail bottleneck by sending an electronic greeting card via the internet.  There is a wide selection of colorful, animated cards to fit all occasions.
• Cut up and use last year’s holiday cards as this year’s gift tags.
• Avoid disposables.  Serve your holiday guests with reusable plates, cups and utensils.  Less waste goes to landfills, and real dishes lend an elegant touch to your party.
• Artificial trees can be used year after year.
• If you live in a single family home in Fayetteville, the City will collect and compost your live Christmas trees.  Place trees with no tinsel, lights, ornaments or other decorations out on your normal collection day until January 15^th 2009 for this disposal option.  Fayetteville residents can bring Christmas trees to the compost facility during normal operating hours for composting free of charge.
• Always try to use rechargeable batteries for all your new gifts.  This reduces disposal problems with regular batteries.

The Fayetteville Recycling Drop Off located in front of the Solid Waste and Recycling offices at 1560 S. Happy Hollow Road is open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for those wanting to drop off extra recyclables from holiday activities.  

Do you have extra E-Scrap items like old computers or T.V.'s that need to be recycled after the Holidays?  If so, call the Washington Couny Environmental Affairs Office at 444-1725.  During the month of January they will be taking E-Scrap items at no cost. 

From all of us at the Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling Division heres hoping you have a wonderful holiday season.