Photo by Katie Azi on Unsplash

The December holidays are fast approaching, and with the holidays comes plastic, string lights, wrapping paper, Christmas trees, and other items we will eventually have to dispose of. Before buying, ask yourself where the items you purchase will end up. When you throw something “away,” where is away?

The following list is a guide to help you sort through the aftermath of the holidays and get rid of common household items:

String lights: String lights cannot be recycled in your regular household recycling. Broken lights can either be thrown out or you can bring them to the Additional Recyclables Collection Center (ARCC) in Barre, VT. The lights are collected, weighed, and sent to be chipped so the copper can be extracted. Expect a fee to recycle at the ARCC–a 5-gallon bucket of lights is currently $2.00.

Wrapping paper: Regular uncoated wrapping paper is recyclable. That said, a good deal of wrapping paper sold in stores is coated with shiny plastic or has metallic flakes, glitter or other added materials. If your wrapping paper is laminated with plastic or has other materials besides paper, it should be thrown away. The same goes for holiday cards. Ribbons, bows and glitter are not recyclable. Remove and save them for next year!

You can avoid the problem by using newspaper or grocery bags to wrap gifts, or by getting creative and using fabric. Search “furoshiki gift wrapping” for creative ideas using cloth.

Polystyrene, known under the brand name “Styrofoam”: If gifts you buy come packed in Styrofoam, you can save it for the next Upper Valley Styrofoam collection event. At these events, clean and dry blocks and food service trays are collected by volunteers at a designated location. All Styrofoam must be clean and free of tape and labels. Material collected is then sent to the Gilford, NH Transfer Station, where it is densified, shipped to Canada, and made into building insulation.

Styrofoam collection events are advertised on local listservs and the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management District’s Facebook page and website. Collections are organized by groups of volunteers. Styrofoam goes in the trash if it is not recycled at one of these special events. For packing peanuts (clean and dry), contact a local maple syrup producer or call Hanover Moving & Storage.

Plastic bags and flexible plastics: Never put plastic bags in your home recycling, as they can get stuck in recycling sorting machines. At home they must be thrown in the trash. Some grocery stores accept these plastics, and the material is then made into composite decking. Conveniently, the Woodstock Union High School’s student environmental club, Earth Beat, collects clean flexible plastic such as bread bags, grocery bags, bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, and wood pellet bags. See here for more info about accepted and unaccepted items. When the school reaches 1,000 pounds of plastic, they will receive a bench made from recycled plastic.

You can leave securely bundled bags of plastic outside the main door of the middle/high school, near the table available for deliveries. Students will collect, weigh, and deliver this plastic.

Glass: Most of us are aware that glass food and beverage containers can be recycled at transfer stations and recycling centers. Examples of these items include wine bottles, other drinks bottles, and glass jars that contain food like pickles, salsa, jam, and pasta sauce. However, not all glass is recyclable. Drinking glasses meant to be used at the table, light bulbs, mirrors, window glass, china, ceramics, and crystal are usually not recyclable. If you have a question, ask your local waste hauler or transfer station before tossing it in the recycling.

Batteries: All batteries are banned from the landfill in Vermont. Visit call2recycle.org to find a drop off location near you. Woodstock Ace Hardware, the Norman Williams Public Library, Bridgewater Town Garage, and Damon Hall in Hartland are examples of local places that accept household batteries.

Christmas Trees: All trees and yard waste are banned from the landfill in Vermont. If you have space, let your tree decompose on your property or on a friend’s property.  Christmas trees provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. Some goat farms accept trees for goats to eat. Ask a friend or neighbor who has goats. If these options won’t work for you, you can bring your tree to the ​Hartford Transfer Station to be composted. You will need a permit.

When in doubt, throw it out!  It is better to operate by this principle than to try to recycle something that is not recyclable and contaminate other “good” recyclables. This pertains particularly to plastics. #1 and #2 plastics are banned from the landfill in Vermont, so all recycling services must accept them. Most providers also recycle #5 plastic–double check with yours if you have questions.

For more information, visit the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management’s A to Z Guide.