Now that the wrapping of Christmas presents is part of Christmas past, it’s time to prep all that waste for recycling — or in some cases, the landfill.
When it comes to recycling wrapping and boxes, not all paper is created equal.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, for example, there’s a reminder from the Department of Environmental Protection that foil paper is not accepted for recycling. Neither are gifts in packing materials such as Styrofoam or plastic.
Eileen Kao, chief of the waste reduction and recycling section of Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection said Mylar sheets are among the items that cannot be recycled.
“They typically are shiny,” Kao said. “They actually are made from plastic, and if you try to tear that, it’s not going to.”
At least not like paper, Kao said.
If it does tear like paper and doesn’t have any type of residue or glitter, it’s probably safe to recycle, according to environmental planner Desmond Gladden with Prince George’s County’s Department of the Environment.
Cardboard boxes, including shoe boxes and boxes used for shipping fruit or produce, can be broken down and recycled. However, if someone shipped you a gift in an envelope with plastic padding, that cannot be recycled alongside paper goods.
And when bundling up recyclable paper for collection, be sure to place it in recycling bins. Don’t wrap it in plastic, that will not be collected and can’t be processed with other recycling.
“That’s a major problem. In Prince George’s County we’ve banned plastic bags from our recycling program, so no type of plastic bag should be included,” Gladden said.
And don’t use leaf recycling bags for paper goods. According to the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, crews will assume leaf bags contain grass clippings or yard trim and won’t collect them as part of the paper recycling stream.
What about next year?
Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection has a list of suggestions for reducing waste while dressing up gifts. Among them:
- Reuse brown or decorative paper bags for wrapping.
- A gift box can be wrapped simply with a single ribbon to make it more festive
- Gift bags can add flair to a present, and be reused by the recipient for a future gift
- Consider giving gifts that need minimal or no wrapping, such as tickets for events, plants, or gift certificates
Find the holiday waste collection schedule for the following jurisdictions below:
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