BRATTLEBORO-With the holidays upon us, many are bracing for increased amounts of trash, recycling, and composting. "Gifts and gatherings can produce a lot of waste, as much as 25% more than usual," writes Alex Lacy, outreach coordinator for the Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) in a news release.
She shares WSWMD's tips to assist in detangling the details of holiday waste do's and don'ts:
• Buying locally usually reduces the amount of packaging associated with gifts (and helps out our small businesses). Clean paper and paper fiber–filled packaging is recyclable, while all Styrofoam, bubble wrap and plastic film is not acceptable in our recycling program and cause major trouble in the recycling centers. Styrofoam should be trashed, but clean and dry plastic film can be dropped off at a large grocery store for plastic film recycling destined to become plastic lumber.
• Wrapping paper that is free of glitter or foil is recyclable. Don't worry about that bit of tape, it will come out through the pulping process for paper recycling. Ribbons and bows are not recyclable, but they are definitely reusable. Gift bags can be reused and if they are nonglossy paper they can be recycled. Gift tissue, if paper and not glittered, is also recyclable.
• While many tags on the gifts given and received are made of paper or paper-like materials, they are usually too small for the recycling centers and regularly fall through the cracks of the system, causing extra rubbish to clean up each shift. Thus, tags should be trashed.
• If you're ditching your natural holiday tree - one you are assured is free of pesticides, herbicides, or preservative sprays - consider donating it to someone with goats or sheep, add it to your yard to provide habitat for wildlife, or drop it off at the WSWMD brush receptacle. Natural trees with decorations still hanging on will be landfilled.
• String lights are accepted at no charge at the scale house so the wire can be recycled in a special program. Do not throw these away or put them in the regular recycling container.
• If you're ready to part with your artificial tree, try giving it away, since artificial trees are not recyclable.
• Entertaining is a big part of the spike in waste generation. From extra food waste and containers to the disposable plates and cutlery we source to reduce cleanup time, it all adds up. All food scraps are accepted in WSWMD's composting program, including meat, dairy, and bones.
• If you are set on using disposable ware for your guests, use BPI compostable resources (Biodegradable Products Institute, with a searchable database at products.bpiworld.org). These can be found at most stores, just look for the dark green BPI certification and be assured that it is safe to compost with WSWMD. Note, however, these certified compostable materials usually don't break down in backyard compost.
• WSWMD is participating in Toys for Tots this year. New, unused toys can be dropped off at their office on Old Ferry Road or at the Scale House during business hours.
More information about holiday waste, along with pricing for dropped off materials, can be found at windhamsolidwaste.org.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.