Recycle This, Trash That, is a community outreach program for the Town of West Hartford funded by Covanta Industries, the town’s trash-to-energy facility.

Much of what gets discarded during the holidays can be recycled. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

During the holidays, weeks of planning, and shopping, and wrapping have culminate in celebrations where paper, ribbons, and packaging are hurriedly removed and recklessly tossed aside as children and grown-ups alike open gifts.

People also cook – and eat – much more during the holidays. They decorate their houses with lights and trees.

And all this means that people produce much more waste – a 25 percent increase (that’s 1 million tons) in household waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in the United States according to the EPA. Remember how many bags you would see at the curb during the holiday season in the days before automated trash pick-up in West Hartford? The week after Christmas was probably the most-hated by the trash collectors.

If at all possible, think “green” by substituting reusable dishware for disposable items, bringing your own bags to stores, decorating with energy-saving and longer-lasting LED lights, and reusing ribbons and bows.

No matter what you do, it’s hard to avoid an uptick in the volume of waste. However, much of what you discard can be recycled, including those evil plastic packages that keep the Barbie dolls safe from the elements but never fail to draw blood from the parent who opens them.

Here’s the holiday guide:

• Wrapping paper that cannot be reused should be recycled. This does not include foil wrapping paper.
• Ribbons or bows that cannot be reused should be thrown into the trash.
• Most blister packaging (like the type that protects Barbie) can be recycled. If the packaging is a combination of plastic and paper, separate it before tossing it into your blue barrel.
• Cardboard boxes that will not be reused can be recycled. Break them down first so you don’t run out of space in the blue barrel.
• Styrofoam must be thrown into the trash, but sometimes what you think is Styrofoam is really polystyrene. Look for a code and recycling symbol (it’s on most meat packages) and if you find one you can discard the items in your blue recycling barrel.
• Foam peanuts can be returned to the UPS store. Otherwise they are trash.
• Bubble wrap and plastic bags are not accepted in the single stream recycling program we have in West Hartford, but can be placed in the bins at many local grocery stores.
• Used paper plates and napkins must be thrown into the trash. Clean paper plates are recyclable, but think about why you are discarding them (or why you’re using them in the first place).
• Plastic cups (like the infamous red Solo cups) can be rinsed and recycled.
• Wine and liquor bottles are recyclable. Beer bottles and cans as well as other beverage bottles and cans are either returnable or recyclable.
• Greeting cards (other than glossy photo cards) can be recycled, as can their envelopes. All catalogues can be recycled.
• Broken lights, ornaments, etc., are all trash. Household batteries can be thrown out in the trash, but rechargeable batteries must be discarded at a hazardous waste collection.

Christmas Tree Collection will begin on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, and will run for two weeks, weather-permitting. Place your tree, free of all ornaments, lights, garland, and any other objects at the curb (not in the street) by 6:30 a.m. on your regular collection day. Trees cannot be in plastic bags.

If you have any questions, contact [email protected] or call 860-561-8100.

Recycle This, Trash That, is a community outreach program for the Town of West Hartford funded by Covanta Industries, the town’s trash-to-energy facility. Ronni Newton is contracted as the recycling campaign editor for the Public Works Department in the Town of West Hartford.