‘TIS THE SEASON TO RECYCLE RIGHT
When it comes time to share seasonal meals with your family, save leftovers for later or share extra food with neighbors and friends to keep the festive spirit alive. Food waste can put a damper on the holiday cheer, so share your favorite treats to help feed your community instead of Land Phil! GIFTS Packages
Oh, the holiday waste is frightful—but recycling is delightful!
With lots of packages arriving down the chimney, remember to break down any cardboard boxes before recycling. Bubble wrap, Styrofoam™, and packing peanuts aren’t accepted in curbside recycling. Save these items for reuse or discard them in the trash.
Wrapping Paper
The winter months are a time for relaxing and celebrating with all the important people in our lives, including Land Phil. This year, the best gift you can give him is nothing at all. Here are some tips on how to make the holidays a little greener. FESTIVITIES
Holiday Lights
Regular wrapping paper is fun and all, but all that glittery stuff is not recyclable. Spice up your gifts this year by using alternative wrapping materials, such as brown paper grocery bags, magazines and newspapers, paper maps, sheet music, fabric scarves, or bandanas. You can also use reusable bags or package gifts in cookie tins. These materials are easy to reuse or recycle and can add a special homemade touch to your gift!
As you begin to trim the tree and dig old lights out of storage, be mindful of how you discard broken cords, wires, and lights. They may be recyclable, but not in your curbside bin, as they can tangle and damage sorting equipment. Instead, bring them to the Eastridge PTO Recycle Holiday Lights Drive at your nearest Fire Station or Sadoff Iron & Metal Company for proper disposal.
Decor
A reminder: ribbons and bows don’t belong in your recycling bins. They tangle in the machines that sort your recyclable materials.
The cutest decor is stuff that won’t end up in Land Phil. Go foraging at the park for fallen evergreen branches and pinecones to create wreaths, ornaments, and decorations for free! Then, once the holidays are over, return them to the park to keep the critters cozy this winter.
Sustainable Gifts
Gifts that Power ON
Try out some DIY crafts this season for sustainable and meaningful gifts! Create new things with supplies you already have, and reuse items you may usually throw away. Bake some treats as gifts, and expect nothing but crumbs left by the end of the holiday season!
Do you have upgraded or new electronics on your wishlist this year? That may mean it’s time to get rid of old or broken electronics with rechargeable batteries. To dispose of items with batteries that no longer work, take them to HazToGo, Lincoln’s hazardous waste center. Batteries start fires in garbage trucks and landfills, which is dangerous. Please take care of our waste workers, and be battery safe! RETURNS
If Santa missed the mark this year, it’s tough to send things back to the North Pole. While returning unwanted gifts appears to keep items out of the landfill, it comes at a cost. Returns can have a large carbon footprint, and less than half of returned items are repackaged and resold. Some end up in thrift and discount stores, but the rest are thrown away—close to five billion pounds in the United States!
If you won’t use what’s under the tree, gift or donate it to someone who will—a friend, a neighbor, or a thrift store in your area.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Land Phil wishes you a winter season full of festive fun and time with your loved ones. He hopes you’ll show your environment and community some love by recycling right and making sustainable choices.
LEARN MORE AT lovelandphil.com